


Unexpected Presents (2006)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-30
Updated: 2006-12-30
Packaged: 2018-02-07 12:31:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1899135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas is coming to Domino, whether the students like it or not. Can the spirit of the season melt the most jaded of hearts, or will Ebenezer Scrooge reign supreme?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One - Prologue

It was the beginning of November. The students of 'Mr. Smith's' World Cultures class – the eccentric exchange teacher from America refused to be called 'Smith-sensei' – watched in rapt fascination as the man unpacked various items from a large satchel and began setting them on his desk. Among the menagerie were a plate full of gingerbread men, a box of small candy canes, a Santa Claus doll, a two-foot decorated Christmas tree, and an ornate porcelain nativity scene. Once the middle-aged man with the receding grey hairline and slight paunch had finished, he pushed his square-rimmed spectacles up the bridge of his nose and beamed at his class.

"If you remember," he began, his Japanese flawless despite the slight accent, "I told you at the start of the semester that we'd be doing something special for the optional unit this year. To that end, I've decided to introduce you people to a celebration you may not be too familiar with. Not only will we be exploring a great tradition that spans many nations and cultures, but it's also a holiday that is near and dear to me. That said, does anyone know the significance of these items?" Mr. Smith glanced around the room and saw two hands in the air – Otogi's and Jounouchi's. Arching a brow in surprise, he called on the blond, a pleased smile on his face. "Yes, Jounouchi-kun?" It wasn't often that the teen voluntarily participated in class.

"Well…I'm not really sure what the little figurines are for, but the rest of that stuff has to do with Christmas, ne?"

"Very good!" Smith beamed as he tossed a candy cane to him as a reward. "These items all have to do with the holiday of Christmas. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we're going to be studying from now until the end of the calendar year: Christmas, in both its spiritual and secular forms. We're going to examine how it's celebrated in various countries around the world, looking at the individual cultural differences. Hopefully, by the end of the unit, you'll see that despite how seemingly unique the celebrations are on the surface, when you move to the more base levels, it is essentially the same everywhere. I think that you're going to have a lot of fun with this unit. You may even be surprised by the end to see that you've actually learned something, too!"

Picking up the box of candy in one hand and the plate of cookies in the other, he began to move about the room, inviting each student to help themselves. "My plan is to study four different countries, and then to finish off the unit with a large holiday feast. It will contain specialized dishes from each of the countries of interest, as well as some other fare, and will be held on the last day of classes before the winter break. I've already spoken with Kana-sensei, and he's agreed to open the meal up to the entire school during the lunch hour. Furthermore, I'm going to be working with the school's theatre club to put on a Christmas pageant that same night." He grinned slyly at his students. "Those of you who volunteer to take place in it will receive a five percent bonus to your final grade for the unit. And, those of you who attend the show will get a two percent bonus." Waggling his eyebrows impishly, he winked and added teasingly, "And no, I'm not above a little bribery to ensure a full house."

Smith paused while a ripple of giggles spread through the room. Once everyone had quieted down, he sat back behind his desk and picked up a cookie for himself. "What I want you all to do tonight is a little research on the topic. Write down any symbols you find. Traditions, names, customs – anything you think may be interesting. Tomorrow, we'll compile a list and see what you guys came up with. For now, you're dismissed. Oh, and Jounouchi-kun? A moment please."

The blond sat in his place as the rest of the students filed out, and when the room was empty, he walked up to his teacher's desk. "Yes, Mr. Smith?"

"Relax, you're not in trouble," the instructor replied, his pale blue eyes sparkling as he gave the teen a friendly nudge in the arm. "I was just curious as to how you know about Christmas. Otogi-kun I have figured out. I know that he spent a considerable amount of time in the United States, so he would have been exposed to it. But, I'm interested to know where you learned about it."

"Oh." Jounouchi pinked a little at the question. "I'm half-American," he mumbled. "When I was a little kid, my family used to celebrate it."

"How marvelous!" Smith replied. "And do you still?"

The blond shook his head. "No…after my parents got divorced, we…no, we don't."

"Ah, I see," the teacher replied, not wanting to press for more information. "Well then, between you and Otogi-un, I've got my resident experts, wouldn't you say?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "Sure, Mr. Smith," he replied rather less-than-enthusiastically. Slinging his backpack over one shoulder, he made his way to his locker, a heavy feeling in his chest. Sighing, he opened the combination, all the while dreading the next two months. After all, he could feel the sensei's enthusiasm for the subject, and he just hadn't had the heart to tell his favourite teacher that he absolutely hated the holiday.


	2. Chapter Two

As the students moved into December, Christmas Fever had gripped Domino High. Interest in the upcoming holiday was so great that Mr. Smith had started offering information classes every night after school, for half an hour, to those students who weren't taught by him. To his credit, the man was smart enough to hold these in the auditorium just before pageant practice, and was thus able to garner even more participation. As it was, he was quite pleased with how things were turning out. Since so many students wanted to be in the show, he'd opted to run it in a revue style, each skit examining a particular aspect of Christmas.

Furthermore, it wasn't unusual to see clusters of girls roaming the halls, garlands of all colours woven into their hair and jingle bells crowning their pigtails. The school store had imported several cases of candy canes and other holiday sweets, finding them to be their biggest seller at this time. Some of the students had even gone so far as to decorate their lockers with miniature battery powered lights and plastic ornaments. Of course, this contravened school policy, but the principal, Kana Matsaharu, who was a noted hard ass, had seemed to turn a blind eye to the goings-on. He claimed that it was because it wasn't often that such a spirit of togetherness and camaraderie existed in the school, and, because of that, he wasn't going to quash the students' enthusiasm. But, truth be told, he, too, had grown quite partial to the peppermint sweets, and since Mr. Smith kept providing him with a steady supply, he wasn't about to put an end to a good thing.

Even the Yugi-tachi was caught up in the holiday spirit. Yugi and Anzu had fallen in love with the whole idea as soon as they'd heard about it from Otogi, and the two of them had immediately begun preparations for a Christmas party to be held on Christmas Eve. Yami liked the festive nature of it all and Bakura, after learning from Ryou that presents were involved, had decided that the concept wasn't as stupid as he'd originally thought. 

Unfortunately, Yugi had made the mistake of mentioning the holiday to Mokuba. At the time, he'd thought nothing of it. He knew that the elder Kaiba also took Mr. Smith's World Cultures class, and he'd figured that, at the very least, Seto would have mentioned something about it to his brother. As it turned out, the blue-eyed brunet had _not_ , and as Yugi had innocently chatted happily away about the upcoming holiday and his party, he'd noticed a little too late the excited widening of the younger Kaiba's eyes, and the impish grin that had spread across his face. By the time Seto had arrived to retrieve the raven-haired boy, Mokuba had been practically bouncing from one foot to the other, and he'd immediately accosted his older brother and had literally begged him to let them celebrate Christmas. After glowering at Yugi, the brunet had answered his brother with a non-committal 'we'll see', which the younger, of course, took to mean a definitive 'yes'. And, ever since that afternoon, Seto had been inundated with all things Christmas as Mokuba read everything he could on the subject. 

Nevertheless, the brunet had eventually relented, albeit grudgingly, and had told his sibling that they could partake of _some_ of the holiday traditions, which raised his worth several notches in the adoring eyes of the younger. Still, despite his frosty demeanour toward the holiday, Seto had to admit – even if only to himself – that he found Mokuba's enthusiasm endearing. And, with his brother being on his best behaviour lest he be put on the `naughty' list, things around the manor were beyond peaceful. Of course, neither of them believed in the legends of Santa Claus, and Mokuba knew well enough that any gifts he received would be of Seto's doing, but the brunet wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It wasn't that his younger brother was ill behaved; it was just a nice relief to not have to act the disciplinarian for a change. 

Unfortunately, when he arrived at the office that Monday, he found that not even Kaiba Corp was going to provide much of a reprieve for him – much to his displeasure. He was grateful that there was only another week or so left before all the insanity would end – at least for another year. Given Mokuba's enthusiasm for the holiday, it was unlikely that this was going to be a one-time event. Entering his office, he spied what appeared to be a five-pound fruitcake sitting in the middle of his desk, wrapped up in red cellophane, and topped with a sparkling green bow. Apparently, their American distributor had sent it along as a thank you for all the business they had received over the past year. For several moments, Seto eyed the brick-like cake, half wondering if he was truly expected to eat it, or if it would serve a better purpose as a doorstop. Deciding to ignore it for the moment, he hurried through some routine correspondence and emails, as was his morning custom. Once he had finished with that, he grabbed his briefcase and then slipped on his coat to head to school. On his way out the door, he glanced at the dessert and, tucking it under his arm, he carried it out to the car. As they pulled away from the Kaiba Corp building, he thought about giving it to Jounouchi. The blond had demonstrated time and again the fact that he would eat just about anything, and he seemed to have an iron stomach. Then, with a small smirk, he thought better of it. After all, fruitcake had a half-life, and he didn't want to kill him. 

The smirk faded, and he loosed a small, private sigh. Truth be told, he almost wished that there _was_ a Santa Claus. That would be the only way he'd get what he really wanted for Christmas, anyway. And, what he wanted wasn't something that could be purchased. He wanted a fair-haired puppy, preferably one with a slender frame, warm eyes, a big heart, and an even bigger mouth. One who made him feel warmer than any flame ever could just by catching his eye. Yet, Seto knew such dreams were futile; he and Jounouchi had never started off on the right foot, and the brunet was too…proud to admit he'd made a mistake and apologize. Still, the original animosity he'd displayed toward the other had significantly diminished. If anything, one could even say that their verbal sparring had turned friendly…

The blue-eyed teen blinked in surprise when he heard a polite knock on the window, and a quick glance out told him that he'd arrived at his destination. Giving his driver a small nod, he climbed from the car and made his way up the steps and into the school. As he dialled the combination to his locker, he glanced up the row and a small smile curved up the corners of his lips when he saw Jounouchi standing in front of his locker, haphazardly cramming textbooks and binders inside of it. The blond obviously felt Seto watching him, and he glanced back, a slight flash of something sparking behind his amber eyes as he met the sapphire gaze. Jounouchi gave him the finger, and then, with a smile, a small wave. The brunet snorted in amusement and proceeded to give him a wave back, only to find himself pushed forcefully into his locker, the back of his head smacking hard against the metal as a pair of warm, wet, slightly sweet tasting lips were crushed to his.

"Merry Christmas, _Stud_ ," a sultry male voice purred in his ear, and it took another moment for Seto's brain to process what he was seeing. Standing before him, wearing a jaunty Santa cap trimmed with pink marabou feathers, stood Taniba Yukio, the school's most proudly flamboyant student. He batted his heavily lined eyelashes at the brunet, revealing the silver sparkle eye shadow he was wearing, and he dangled a sprig of mistletoe over his head. "Got a kiss for me?" he drawled, eyeing the slightly taller male licentiously as he puckered up his lips, the fuchsia wildberry scented lip-gloss he wore glistening slightly under the fluorescent lights.

Before Seto could reply, a blue-uniform clad blur streaked past him, and suddenly the pretentious teen found himself slammed up against the opposite wall, a very irate Jounouchi glaring at him. "The fuck is wrong with you?" the blond demanded, giving the pink-haired male a violent shake. 

Taniba glanced pleadingly over at the brunet, and when he saw that the blue-eyed teen had no intention of assisting him, his lower lip began to quiver, and his eyes welled with tears. "I was just trying to get a kiss from the sexiest guy in the school," he began. "Oh God, don't hit me!" he squeaked, trying to shy away from the blond when Jounouchi raised a fist.

"Ah, fuck it!" Jou exclaimed as he dropped his hand and shoved the other away. "You're not worth my time or the detention. Fucking priss!" he scowled as he turned back to Seto. "That guy makes Otogi look manly!" he groused. After a moment, he dropped his gaze. "I'm sorry, Kaib'. I didn't mean to get involved in your fight. I know you can handle shit on your own, so I don't blame you if you're pissed now." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he turned away. "See you in class this afternoon."

The brunet chuckled softly at the comparison, only to blink in surprise at the blond's sudden departure. "I'm not angry," he called after the other, and when Jounouchi turned back to him, he added, "I can't believe that guy is the captain of the basketball team. What does he do when one of the other players rushes him?"

"Probably tries to grope him," the smaller teen countered, a smile curving across his lips. Finally, he took note of the package, and he asked, "Are you all caught up in this Christmas stuff, too?"

"Hm? Oh…no. Well, I guess I am insofar as Mokuba wants to have a holiday celebration, but this," he nodded to the fruitcake, "was a gift from one of my American clients."

"Oh. Why'd you bring it here?"

Seto smirked. "I thought Otogi could use it. They say you are what you eat."

"A _fruitcake_?" Jounouchi sniggered softly. "Ok, that one was bad, Kaib'. Even _I_ could have come up with something better than that!"

The brunet shrugged, the smirk widening. "Why waste the A-material on him? He's not worth the time or the effort."

The blond's brow furrowed in thought, as though he were processing that information. He watched as Seto picked up his briefcase and tucked the package under his arm once again. Suddenly, his eyes widened slightly, and he asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

The blue-eyed teen smiled softly. "See you in class this afternoon, Jounouchi." And with that, he headed off to his homeroom, leaving the other to ponder the mystery of his comment.

* * *

Otogi sat in the lunchroom, scowling at the fruitcake that sat in front of him. At first, when Seto had told him that he'd had a gift for him, he'd been quite pleased. After all, the stoic brunet was not normally one to participate in random acts of kindness to anyone besides his brother – at least not without some ulterior motive. Graciously, the green-eyed teen had gushed over the other's generosity, cooing delightedly about how thoughtful he'd been, and admittedly, more than a little pleased at the attention. And then, he'd seen the gift for what it was. A fruitcake. He'd given the other a weak smile and a muttered, "Thanks a lot," and had then spent the remainder of the morning staring at the artificially festive red and green candied cherries that seemed to be staring back at him. Mocking him. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and got to his feet. "You're out of here, Pal!" he hissed at the baked dessert and, tucking it under his arm, he headed towards the nearest trash receptacle. 

"Otogi-kun!"

The raven-haired male turned at the sound of the voice, and he smiled when he saw Yugi trying to make his way toward him. The spike-haired teen was carrying a four-foot tall Christmas card. Absently, he wondered if a good gust of wind would turn the diminutive teen into a human sail. "Hey, Yugi."

"I'm glad I caught up with you finally!" the smaller said. "I've been trying to track down everyone who's in the pageant to sign this ginormous Christmas card for Mr. Smith. I've almost got all the signatures." Grinning, he held up three magic markers – one red, one green and one black. "Choose your weapon."

Otogi selected the red, and quickly signed his name with an ostentatious flourish. As he handed the pen back to Yugi, he was struck by an idea. "Say, Yugi, I'm glad I ran into you. I was hoping to find you before the afternoon session so that I could give you this." He handed the other the fruitcake, all the while giving him a winsome smile. 

Either Yugi didn't notice what it was, or he was too polite to say anything. Giving the green-eyed teen a brilliant smile in return, he thanked him profusely for the gift and quickly put it into his backpack. "You're coming by tonight after school, right?" he asked. "Friday's the pageant, and Saturday's the party. And Anzu's got a whole list of stuff for us to do still."

The raven-haired teen nodded. "I'll be there. See you tonight!" As he waved goodbye to Yugi and headed back to his table, his heart felt light and he was even whistling a Christmas carol under his breath. He'd finally rid himself of the evil that was the fruitcake.


	3. Chapter Three

"What the hell is that?"

Yami blinked innocently at Bakura as he stepped back from the large fruitcake he had just set down in front of the former tomb robber. "What?" he asked. "It's a gift for you." He didn't mention that Yugi had presented it to him earlier that afternoon. 

Giving the crimson-eyed Pharaoh a wary look, the white-haired spirit slipped off the couch and knelt in front of the package, studying it curiously. "What do you do with this?" he asked suspiciously as he hefted the parcel. "And what are those… _things_ embedded within the structure?" He cautiously poked at one of the glacée cherries with a finger. "They're more pliant than the surrounding area."

Yami bit back his snigger. "This is a cake. You eat it," he explained. "And these," he continued, gesturing to the cherries, "are some sort of candied fruit that has been baked into it."

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "You're the one with the sweet tooth, Pharaoh. Why would you give me such a gift?" Suddenly, his eyes widened in comprehension. "You eat some of it with me."

"W-what?" the spike-haired male asked, cursing the stutter.

"In the spirit of generosity, share this gift with me, Pharaoh. Unless of course you've done something to it." A sinister smile curved across the tomb-robber's lips.

"I d-don't eat cake," Yami persisted as Bakura peeled off the cellophane and gave the dessert a tentative sniff.

"You _lie_!" the white-haired spirit roared, his dark eyes narrowed. "You've tainted it somehow! You're trying to kill me!" he insisted as he jumped to his feet, looking around him for some sort of weapon.

"Bakura, no!" Ryou shouted as he saw what was happening and he moved to intervene. "Honestly, Yami was being sincere in giving you a gift. It's just that…not a lot of people care for fruitcake. Perhaps that's the case with him. I'm sure it's fine…see?" To emphasize his point, he broke off a small piece and ate it, sincerely hoping that he wasn't grimacing too badly.

The tomb-robber stood down, but he continued to glower at the former pharaoh. Not taking his eyes off the other, he returned to where he'd been kneeling on the floor moments before. Slowly, his gaze shifted back to the cake. He knew that his light had never lied to him before, and if he said it wasn't poisoned, then he unconditionally believed him. Besides, Ryou had willingly eaten some of the dessert. Cautiously, he, too, broke off a small piece and, after once again giving it a cursory sniff, he popped it into his mouth, chewing it slowly, his brow furrowed slightly. Suddenly, both of his eyebrows shot up and he snatched his package up, slinking into the corner of the couch and clutching it to his chest.

"Bakura, are you all right?" Yugi asked as he came into the room carrying a bowl of pretzels and one of mixed nuts.

"This cake…" He looked around at the few friends that were already gathered. "It's _delicious_! And it's _mine_!" Not noticing the surprised looks he was receiving from the other three males, he curled up against the arm of the couch, devouring his treat with much zeal.

"That's…great, Bakura," Yugi replied. "Enjoy." He heard a commotion from downstairs, and he knew that meant that his other friends had arrived. Excusing himself and telling Yami to get them some drinks when they came up, he dashed back into the kitchen to pull his canapés from the toaster oven and put the finishing touches on the other hors d'oeuvres he was serving.

A few moments later, Anzu, Honda and Otogi came upstairs, the girl looking quite annoyed, and the other two males sniggering uncontrollably. "Perverts!" she hissed. "Only the two of you could take something as charming as Christmas and turn it into something so depraved!

"Anzu? Are you all right?" Ryou asked, moving to stand beside the petite brunette, having seen more than enough of Bakura tearing into the fruitcake like a wolf through a gazelle.

"Why don't you ask the demented duo over here!" she replied petulantly, turning to scowl at her companions again. "These two geniuses decided to draw a manga depicting `The Night Before Christmas', only what they came up was nothing like the original story! Instead of sweet St. Nicholas flying around the world on  
Christmas Eve and delivering presents to good children, theirs is the story of…" She trailed off, closing her eyes for a moment and swallowing harshly, as if to steel herself against what she was about to say. "It's the story of the over-sexed St. Prick-in-Ass. Not only does he grant bigger breasts to women and larger genitals to men, but he rewards the promiscuous by filling their Christmas stockings with various sex toys and videos. And, he gives a special `gift' to those particularly naughty people."

"Yeah, isn't it great?" Honda beamed as he held up a rather rough looking comic. "It's called, `Oh Cum, All Ye Faithful'. We think it could be the next holiday classic."

"Oh my," Ryou said quietly, looking a little shocked himself at the idea. "Well, if nothing else, you've certainly made use of your artistic talents," he commented.

Suddenly, Bakura's head popped up from behind the couch. "Can I read it?" he asked with a dark grin, his eyes glinting impishly.

"Sure, what the hell," Otogi said with a shrug as he took the book from Honda and headed over to where the spirit was sitting. He arched a brow when he saw that the tomb robber had eaten nearly a quarter of the fruitcake. "Hey, I was wondering what was going to happen to that thing," he mused as he handed the manga over to the other male.

"Oh great! Another male, chauvinist pig!" Anzu scolded.

Bakura eyed her curiously for a moment. Suddenly, a slow smile crept across his face. "Ne, Anzu…you're in that play, aren't you? Remind me again what you're doing. Ryou's some sort of carpenter, if I remember correctly."

The petite brunette nodded, and with a smile, she said, "Yes. Ryou and I are both in the skit that tells the religious origins of Christmas. He's playing Joseph, and I'm the Virgin Mary."

"You're playing a virgin?" The white-haired spirit's grin widened even further, and suddenly, he burst into peals of laughter. "My dear, if that's true, then you should definitely get an award for your performance!" he stated in obvious amusement. "I happen to have it on good authority that you quite enjoy a little slap and tickle from time to time. You dirty girl, you!" He waggled his eyebrows lewdly and glanced over at Ryou, who turned a lovely shade of red. 

"I'm so sorry, Anzu," Ryou mumbled apologetically, flushing even further as the female rounded on him, her blue eyes sparking in anger. "I swear, I never told him about that one time at the discotheque, but he has no manners, and often eavesdrops on my private thoughts, and…" Mortified, the soft-spoken teen trailed off and slunk into the kitchen to see if he could give Yugi a hand.

Upon hearing that, both Honda and Otogi exploded into sniggers of their own, and the tomb robber earned a rather hard smack to the back of the head. "You're so disgusting!" Anzu snapped, clenching her hand into a fist as though this time she meant to punch the white-haired spirit for his crassness.

"Where's Jounouchi?" Yami interjected as he pulled the girl to him and quickly began taking drink orders from the three newcomers before the now fuming Anzu could lynch Bakura.

"He's still downstairs," Otogi replied as he flopped into a large armchair and draped his legs over one of the arms. "He's talking to Mokuba, so I'm sure they'll both be up in a sec."

As if on cue, the sound of Mokuba's inane giggling came from the stairwell, followed by a loud, "You're fucking shitting me!" from Jounouchi.

"Dead serious, Jou!" Mokuba replied breathlessly. "Cross my heart and hope to die!"

"What's going on, Jou?" Yugi asked, meeting the two of them in the hallway as he came out of the kitchen carrying a large platter of snacks, Ryou skulking along sheepishly behind him with the various condiments and dips.

The blond looked at the young Kaiba and said apologetically, "Sorry, Yug'. It's not my news to tell, but if Moku here wants to dish the dirt, it's up to him."

Intrigued, both Yugi and Ryou looked expectantly at the raven-haired boy.

Mokuba giggled nervously, and dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, he said, "You guys can't tell anyone else – not Yami, and especially not Bakura. They'd tease him, and not only would he be mad at me, but he'd be out for blood. Swear?"

The other two males looked at one another. Ryou silently vowed that, whatever it was, he would find some way to always keep it from Bakura, and then he nodded. "Pinky swear, even," Yugi stated emphatically.

Mokuba studied them for a minute, as if in deep contemplation, and then he nodded, too. "Ok," the young boy said, obviously accepting their promises. "Well, while Seto was at work this afternoon, I was snooping around the house, trying to see if I could find my Christmas presents."

"Seems that Kaib's either really good at hiding things, or he's not done his shopping yet," Jounouchi interjected, giving Mokuba's hair an affectionate ruffle. "Don't worry, Kiddo; like I said, I'm sure he's going to get you something awesome, if he hasn't already," he said. "'Sides, it's more fun to be surprised, so in a way, I'm kind of glad you didn't find anything."

The raven-haired male nodded. "Yeah, I'm starting to think so, too. And, as much as I'd like to know, I kind of like surprises more," he agreed, and then turned back to the other two teens. "Anyway, I figured Seto'd put them in his room, since I never go in there. Well, I peeked in the top drawer of his nightstand, and you'll never guess what I found."

Both Ryou and Yugi looked at each other again, and shrugged. Neither of them knew very much about the stoic brunet beyond what he let them see, and what he might keep as a hidden secret was anyone's guess. 

"Old books on Egyptology and copies of scrolls and other ancient documents!" Mokuba replied. "There was a notebook in there, too, and I peeked inside it. Apparently, Seto's actually researching to see if there really was a Pharaoh Atem and a High Priest Seth." Mokuba grinned impishly. "He's also got documents and paperwork on the Millennium Items that Isis sent to him from Egypt. You should see the notes he's made – I can't tell whether it makes him angrier that the stories are true, or that he's actually a part of it."

Like Jounouchi had done mere moments before, both Ryou and Yugi gaped at the boy, a disbelieving, "No way!" passing over their lips. When the young Kaiba simply giggled and nodded, Yugi's eyebrows shot up. "To be honest, that's the _last_ thing I ever expected to hear your brother kept." A small grin crept across his features. "But, at least it's nice to know that we're having an effect on him – whether he likes it or not," the spike-hared boy teased. 

Suddenly, there was a loud 'pop' from the living room, followed by a loud, "Fuck!" from Honda. Jounouchi was first on the scene, rushing into the room and demanding, "What the hell is going on in here?"

Anzu and Yami were pointing at Honda, who was, in turn, pointing at Otogi. Bakura, to his credit, was remarkably silent, sitting in his corner of the couch and continuing to devour his cake, all the while chuckling under his breath.

There was another 'pop' from the fireplace, and Jounouchi turned to Honda. "What did you do?" he asked, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Well," Honda began sheepishly. "Otogi was telling us about these roasted chestnuts he'd had when he was in New York City, and they sounded good, so I brought some with me tonight, and he said you just put them in the fire, and…"

"Idiot!" the blond scolded as he hurried to the kitchen, and coming back with an oven mitt and some tongs. "How many are in here?"

"Maybe a dozen or so," Honda replied, a forlorn expression on his face as he watched the smaller teen carefully pick his treats from the fire and dump them into the metal ash bucket. "Do you have to do that?" he asked after a minute.

"Yes," Jounouchi snapped impatiently. "You didn't slit these, did you?" he asked. At seeing the blank look on the fin-haired teen's face, he rolled his eyes impatiently. "Baka! You have to cut a slit, or even better, an X in the shell, or else they explode. God! You're the one who took chemistry, and even _I_ know that when the water inside these gets hot, they expand!" Scowling, he put the metal ash scoop on top of the pail, glaring at his friend when yet another chestnut detonated from within the steel confines.

"Well, you could have told me that earlier!" Honda groused petulantly as he picked up a sugar cookie from the tray and nibbled at it, settling down on one of the large throw pillows Yugi had strewn about the room.

"And you guys claim that _I'm_ the stupid one," Jounouchi muttered under his breath as he grabbed a handful of mixed nuts and then flopped down into the other armchair. "So," he continued after a minute. "Are we going to get this show on the road, or what?"

"You could be a little more cheerful. Honda was just trying to be festive," Anzu complained as she sat down with Yami and Yugi on one of the couches.

The blond blew a raspberry at her and muttered, "Bah, humbug!" Still, his expression softened a little when Mokuba dragged a pillow over to where he sat and sprawled out at his feet.

Ryou hesitantly sat down beside Bakura, who had for the time being, set his cake aside and was busy examining a sausage roll. "Well," the soft-spoken teen began. "I know that the food for the party is done. Yugi and I have been working on that." He grimaced slightly when Bakura popped the whole thing in his mouth, chewing rather noisily. "Manners of a pig," he muttered as he tossed a napkin at him before continuing. "Anzu, you and Yami were going to take care of decorations, ne?"

"Yes," the petite brunette replied. "I think we've got everything together, and we're going to spend Saturday morning putting everything up. It's so awesome that we're doing this on Christmas Eve!" For the next twenty minutes or so, she chatted happily about the various decorations she'd procured, what sorts of things she was planning on doing, and that her colour scheme, while primarily red and green, also contained elements of silver, gold and some black. When she was finished, she cocked her head slightly and asked, "Ryou, are you sure that your father isn't going to mind us having it at your house?"

The white-haired teen shook his head. "He was a bit surprised that I was interested in Christmas this year, since we've not celebrated it for, oh, a good ten years at least, but he said if I wanted to have some of my friends over for some holiday cheer, that was fine." He gave them a sheepish smile as he rubbed a hand against the back of his head. "Although, he did say that if we trash the house, everything had better be put back by the time he gets home on the first." He gave a brief glance towards Honda and Otogi, his smile faltering only slightly.

Anzu caught the look, and giving Ryou a reassuring nod, she said, "We'll _all_ help clean up on Sunday. So, what time can we come over, then?"

"If you come over around one, I should be back from running my last minute errands. That should be more than enough time, don't you think?"

The blue-eyed girl nodded. "Definitely. Jou, you're going to help us, right?"

"Do I have to?" he muttered before he could stop himself, earning a withering glare from the female. "I mean, yeah, I'd love to," he replied flatly, reaching for another handful of nuts to keep his mouth occupied. "One at Ryou's...Christmas Eve…I'll be there. Just try and stop me."

"What about us?" Honda interjected, gesturing to himself and Otogi. 

"You really want to help?" Anzu asked, a suspiciously sweet smile on her face. When the fin-haired brunet nodded, followed shortly after by a slightly more hesitant one from Otogi, her grin turned wicked and she said, "Good. I need a couple of errand boys to pick things up as I need them. You can start by coming to get me at noon."

Honda's face fell, and Otogi leaned forward and smacked him hard in the shoulder. "Thanks a lot!" he hissed. "Do I have 'bitch' tattooed across my forehead?"

Jounouchi snickered softly from his position in his chair. "Should say, 'Honda's Bitch'...Ow, fuck! What was that for?" he demanded when he was hit in the back of the head with a throw pillow that had been tossed by the raven-haired teen.

"Asshole," Otogi grumbled, blushing deeply as he looked anywhere but at Honda, whose colour matched his own. "At least I did something about it instead of making pathetic moon eyes for some frigid pr-" He cut himself off abruptly when he simultaneously caught the death look from the blond and the strange look on Mokuba's face. "'Least I'm not using my hand to keep me company at night," he finished, reaching around Honda and picking up a cheese puff.

"It's never let me down yet," Jounouchi quipped lewdly. "Fucking hell, Anzu! What the hell was that for?" he complained, rubbing the back of his head.

" _Mokuba_ is here, and doesn't need to hear that sort of thing from you perverts!"

"I'm not a baby!" the young boy protested.

"Jesus Christ, Anzu, he's thirteen, not four!" Jounouchi said overtop of the smaller Kaiba's words. "I'm sure he's heard far worse – and probably from Kaiba! God, you're taking this whole 'virgin' role a little too seriously if you ask me! Ow! Fuck! Stop hitting me!"

"Then quit being so frigging ignorant!" she snapped in return, not catching Jounouchi rolling his eyes at her refusal to swear.

"Oh fuck _you_ , Anzu!" the blond exclaimed as he got to his feet and went to put on his shoes. Muttering to himself, he griped, "God, if I want abuse and bitching, I might as well just go home." Irritably, he jammed his arms into the sleeves of his coat. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, Yug'," he said, and then nodding to the others, he added, "Later, guys."


	4. Chapter Four

As Jounouchi stepped out the back door from Yugi's place and into the alley, he ran, quite literally, into Seto. Fortunately for both of them, the brunet's reflexes were quick, and he not only kept his own balance, but he also caught the blond in his arms and kept him from falling. "Get the fuck off of me, you creep! Oh...hey, Kaib'," Jounouchi mumbled, averting his gaze as a slight flush settled on his cheeks when he realized who was holding him. Hurriedly, he pulled himself free, and straightened out his jacket. "Um...Mokuba's still upstairs with the others. Just go on in, turn right at the top."

"You're leaving already?" the brunet asked, arching a curious brow. "I'd assumed that you would have been the one most excited about this holiday."

Jounouchi shrugged. "Yeah, well, guess you figured wrong." Jamming his hands in his pockets, the blond admitted, "Truth be told, I fucking hate this holiday with a passion. Even more than that stupid tanabata festival. And everyone from Smith to Anzu and Yug' seems hell bent on cramming it down my throat."

The second brow joined the first at that. "Oh, I see. Well, that saves me _that_ embarrassment, then."

"Eh? What're you talking about?"

Seto shook his head. "It's not important. Now that I know your feelings about these festivities, I won't ask and put you in an uncomfortable situation."

"Aw, come on, Kaib', you can't say something like that and not tell me!" the blond wheedled.

There was a long pause while sapphire stared into amber, and finally, with a sigh, the brunet said, "Fine...but don't feel obligated to accept. As you know, Mokuba wants to do this whole...Christmas thing. I haven't shopped for him yet, and I have no idea what to do for this Santa Claus, either. I was going to ask if you'd be willing to come shopping with me so that it turns out good for Mokuba. But, since you don't care for the holiday, I'll find someone else."

Jounouchi's heart nearly leapt out of his throat when he heard the request, only to have it fall heavily into the pit of his stomach by the time the taller teen had finished speaking. "I'll do it, Kaib'. Besides, who else are you going to get? Otogi? Ryou?" He gave the other male his most winsome smile, and said, "You've got no choice but to let me help you. I'm the world's biggest kid!"

Seto gave a small snort of amusement. "Yes, you are probably the most immature person I know," he teased, chuckling softly when the blond gave him the finger. "Touché," he replied. "You've definitely proven how adult you really are with that witty rejoinder."

"You're such an ass, Kaiba."

"And yet again with the mature, intellectual commentary," the brunet said with a snicker. "We'll continue this lively debate on Wednesday after school, then? I'll pick you up around four. That should be sufficient time for you, ne?"

Jounouchi nodded, a brilliant grin lighting up his features. "Sounds good. I have a bit of an idea of what sort of stuff Mokuba wants. We can compare lists on our way to the mall. See you around, Kaib'."

"If you want to wait five minutes, we can give you a ride home."

"Nah, I'm ok," Jounouchi replied. "I don't live that far away, and I could use a bit of fresh air. Thanks anyway. Oh, but when you go up there, watch out for Saint Anzu, the Pious...she's being a bitch."

Seto chuckled. "Ah. That would explain why you're leaving then. Thanks for the warning, and I'll see you tomorrow."

The blond gave the other male a small wave, waiting until he'd gone inside before jamming his hands into his pockets once more and starting to trudge silently down the sidewalk towards his apartment. He exhaled heavily as he thought about what he'd said earlier to Seto. He did hate the holiday. It wasn't that he disliked the lights, or the music, or any of the traditions. There was one, simple reason why he loathed it, and that reason was his father.

His mother had contributed the American half of his blood. She was the one who, when he and his sister had been little, had started the tradition of Christmas in their household. The first one he could remember, he'd been seven, and his sister had been five. They'd been in the United States to visit his mother's family. There, he'd met his Gam-Gam, and the woman had immediately fallen in love with her two grandchildren. Both he and Shizuka had been spoiled with presents and candies and more food than they had ever seen at one time, and it had been the best day of his life, as far as he could remember.

The next year, they'd celebrated back in Japan. The festivities had been relatively modest compared to what they'd experienced in the States, but he'd still found the whole thing quite magical. He'd even seen 'Santa' putting presents on the floor around the small tree they'd decorated and set up on an end table. He'd immediately known that it was just his father in a costume, but his sister would still swear that it had been the real thing. 

The last Christmas they had celebrated as a family had been in his ninth year. And even at that, it had been ruined by his father. The old man had been laid off from his job with Orika Manufacturing at the beginning of December. For twelve years he'd been a bookkeeper for them, but in the interest of saving money and corporate restructuring, his job had been outsourced. The company had offered him a generous severance package, and had even provided him with a glowing letter of recommendation and a contact name for a new facility that was being built. However, the senior Jounouchi had taken it as a personal slight, had told the company that they could shove their offer, and had turned to the bottle for solace. And, in his bitterness, he had blamed his family and their needs on his requirement to find decent employment. As the weeks had progressed, his temper had grown shorter and his moods more violent, until three days before Christmas, he had lashed out and struck his wife.

That Christmas Eve, a tearful Katsuya had climbed into his mother's lap and, his tears welling at seeing the large bruise marring her otherwise flawless face, he quietly told her that she should tell Santa Claus that he and Shizuka had discussed it, and that he could keep all of their presents and instead give Tousan a new job so he'd be happy again. The woman had been overcome with emotion at hearing the selfless gesture, and as she went to hug her little boy, he'd been torn from her arms by a furious Jounouchi Kensen. Going on about how he didn't need pity, _especially_ from some nine-year old smartass, the blond had received what would be the first beating of many.

The next morning, there had been a few presents for both him and Shizuka – his mother had slipped out that evening after the two children had silently cried themselves to sleep – but for him, there had been no joy in opening them. The entire mood of the holiday was one of wary cautiousness. Everyone had been on their best behaviour, leaving the elder male to sleep away the better part of the day. When he'd awoken, he'd again laid into his wife, berating her for spoiling _his_ worthless brats with useless junk and stupid traditions, and then breaking their new toys and throwing them into the garbage. He'd raised his hand to backhand the woman, when the smoke detector had gone off. In his angered rush to get to the trash, Kensen had bumped the dial on the stove to 'broil', and the whole chicken that had been roasting in the oven for their dinner was now ablaze, thick, acrid black smoke pouring into the room. Once the fire had been brought under control, the elder Jounouchi had blamed his wife for being a 'careless whore' and ruining their dinner – and had then gone out to the bar.

The following summer, Jounouchi's mother had taken Shizuka, and the two of them had left for the United States. The little blond had, unfortunately, become an outlet for the frustration of both of his parents. While his mother turned cold toward him, hoping that by avoiding the other object of her husband's irritation, she would avoid further abuse to herself, his father had used him as a punching bag whenever life dealt him a self-perceived unfair hand. Still, Jounouchi tried to make things better for him and his father, and when December rolled around again, the ten-year old carefully set up a tiny Christmas tree in his room – no more than six inches tall – and painstakingly wrote a letter to, what he hoped, was the 'real' Santa Claus. He'd waited two weeks to approach his father, trying to catch the other in a good mood. Finally, he saw his chance when the old man was making breakfast for them. He'd asked if he could have a stamp to mail a letter. After Kensen had asked to whom he was writing, Jounouchi had thought about lying and telling his dad that he was corresponding with Shizuka. However, he had no idea where his sister was living, and he knew he'd be hit for his dishonesty. So, when he'd told his father that he was writing to Santa, the elder male had gone through the roof.

Jounouchi had received several beatings that day. The first had been for disobeying his father's directive that Christmas would _not_ be celebrated under his roof. The second had been for wasting paper and envelopes in writing to a man that did _not_ exist. The third had been for wasting his father's time in that the elder male had gone through the little blond's room, throwing anything and everything related to the holiday into a large garbage bag, along with any toys he'd received as a result of it. And finally, he'd been beaten, just because the older man had decided that he'd deserved it. That had been the absolute last time Jounouchi had even thought about Christmas – until Mr. Smith had brought it up this past November.

Shuddering, Jounouchi pushed all of those thoughts aside as he unlocked the front door to his apartment building and made his way up the stairs to his flat. He'd had to be extremely careful about not leaving any of his homework lying around, lest his father stumble across it and fly into a rage. Thus far, he'd been lucky.  
Carefully, he pulled out his key and slipped it into the lock, but before he could turn it, the door flew open and a fist connected with his cheek, sending him reeling. He felt a large hand grab his lapels, and he was yanked inside, the door slamming behind him. As he stared up at his father, his eyes wide, he felt his insides turn to ice. What the hell had he done? Suddenly, his gaze flicked up to his father's head, and he saw an old Santa cap on the man's head, the white trim slightly yellowed with time, the pompom hanging in the angry, hazel eyes. He bit his lip. Hard. In his panic, he found his father's appearance quite comical, and he knew that if he laughed, he would likely be killed. Literally. "W-what'd I do?" he asked. He could feel blood running down his cheek, and knew that his dad's ring must have cut the skin. He was glad for that – it gave him something to focus on besides that stupid hat.

Kensen still had his son by the lapels, and narrowing his eyes, he backhanded the younger across the mouth, splitting his lip. "Don't get smart with me, Boy," he sneered, and then fished around in his pants pocket for something. A moment later, he withdrew an old and wrinkled envelope addressed simply to 'Santa Claus, North Pole'. "What the fuck is this?"

Jounouchi paled. He immediately recognized it as the letter he'd written when he was ten. He'd been certain that his father had thrown everything away that night – apparently, the old man, in his drunken haze, had simply tossed everything into his closet. He swallowed thickly. What a time for Kensen to decide to do a little house cleaning! Hoping that the older male was still lucid enough to follow his logic, he said, "I wrote that letter when I was ten – eight years ago. Look at the date on the top of it!"

"Still a fucking smartass!" the senior Jounouchi snarled as he punched the teen hard in the stomach, grabbing a fistful of blond hair and yanking his son upright when he doubled over slightly from the hit. Tugging him toward the living room, he pulled hard, sending the younger sprawling on the worn and stained carpet. "You think I don't know how to fucking read? You think I'm some sort of illiterate?" he demanded, obviously having ignored the other's words. Pulling the sheet of paper from the envelope, he started to read. " _'Dear Santa,'_ I told you that there was no such thing! Quit believing in such shitty fairy tales!" He punctuated his statement with a kick to the blond's ribs. " _'My name is Jounouchi Katsuya, and I live in Japan. You probably don't know me, but I wanted to write you and ask you a favour. From what I hear, they say that you can do all kinds of things, and I was hoping you could help me. I know you only help good kids, and I guess I've not been the best kid out there – at least, that's what I'm told. But, maybe you'd do this for my sister, Shizuka. She lives in America, and she's the best kid ever. Anyway, my folks split up this summer, and my dad's trying to find a job. If you could, maybe you could get my dad his old job back, and then everything would be good again.'_ You ungrateful little son-of-a-bitch!" Kensen shouted. "You don't think things are good here? Don't I feed you? Clothe you? Pay for that school you go to?" He glared down at Jounouchi, kicking him once again before continuing. " _'Or maybe, we could all go live in a big palace, and people could come and do stuff for us, and we wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again. I hope you can help me, Santa. Love, Katsuya.'_ Fuck, that's _pathetic_!" the older male sneered, crouching down in front of his son and roughly grabbing another handful of his hair, jerking him up into a semi-sitting position. “You want to find your fucking palace? You think you can do so much better? Well, you've got five minutes to get your shit and get the fuck out of my house. Go find your Santa Claus and let _him_ take care of your ass. You've been a pain in mine for long enough." None-too-gently, he slammed the teen's head back down, flinging the letter at the younger male. "Tick-tock, boy..."

For a moment, Jounouchi lay curled up on the floor, a soft groan escaping him. He could taste blood, and he felt like he'd been run over by a truck. Finally, the elder man's words registered, and with a pained grimace, he hurriedly got to his feet, pocketing the letter and running toward his room. Quickly, he grabbed all of his school texts and shoved them into his backpack, and then jammed his uniforms and as much clothing as would fit into a bag and zipped it up, along with his small toiletry kit. Lastly, he picked up his deck, which he put in the inside pocket of his coat, and emptied the mayonnaise jar of money he had squirreled away into a dirty sock, shoving that into his other jacket pocket. Shouldering his backpack, and then draping the strap to the duffle bag across his chest, he hauled the blanket off his bed, draped it around him like a 'cape', and not looking back at his father, he headed out the door of his apartment, flinching only once when a bottle broke against the door jamb.

When he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he was glad he'd brought his blanket with him. For a moment, he thought about calling Yugi or Honda, but they would ask too many questions, and he'd feel more like a charity case than anything. Seto, too, flashed quickly through his mind, but he dismissed that idea even quicker. Sure, he and the brunet had come a long way in the past few years, but he wouldn't insult the other by asking him to take him in – especially now. This was a time for family, and they certainly didn't need some mangy stray hanging around. Jounouchi thought about trying to sleep on one of the benches in the park. He'd done it before, but then, the weather had been considerably warmer than it was tonight. He shivered as a winter wind blew, sending a cold chill through his frame. Grimacing, he realized he'd have no choice but to spend the night at the shelter. Swallowing what little was left of his pride, he headed in that direction, deciding that in the morning, he'd break into one of the vacant lockers in his hallway at school and stash his clothing and things there. And, if he got up early enough, he'd be able to shower in the locker room. Scowling, he gingerly touched the cut on his face as he climbed the steps and entered the building, hoping two things. First, that the staff would believe him when he told them that he was twenty – he _so_ didn't need the cops dragging him back to his father. And second, that they had a first aid kit for him to use.


	5. Chapter Five

After spending a restless night in the shelter, Jounouchi had arrived at the school shortly after the custodian had unlocked the doors. Breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that the halls were deserted, he slipped stealthily inside, intent on hiding his duffle bag before anyone could see him. He'd quickly stashed his gear in a spare locker that was auspiciously located two down from his own, and after hurriedly showering and cleaning up, he'd sat in the cafeteria for two hours working on his homework from the previous evening. As he'd expected, Yugi and company had accosted him in homeroom, asking him what had happened to his face. Chuckling sheepishly, he'd told them that he'd gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and had misjudged his position, walking full-tilt into the edge of the door, cutting his lip and embedding a splinter in his cheek in the process. They'd seemed to accept that explanation, and Jounouchi had relaxed a bit, doubly grateful that Seto had not been there to hear his reasoning. The stoic brunet seemed to know instinctively when the blond was full of shit. 

Nevertheless, the day had passed without incident, although he did earn some strange looks when he'd purchased his lunch completely with small-denomination coin. That evening, he'd grudgingly used a little more of his 'stash' to buy some noodles from a street vendor, and had then huddled quietly in his own corner of the shelter, keeping away from the prying eyes and questioning glances of the other patrons.

Wednesday was a different story. Again, he'd made it to school early and had showered without anyone noticing, but when he had arrived in his World Cultures class, he'd received a curious look from Seto.  
The blue-eyed teen had had the good grace to not say anything, but it didn't take a genius to see that the brunet knew what had caused the smaller male's injuries. He pressed his lips into a thin line for a moment, and then asked, "Are we still on for tonight?"

"Eh?" Jounouchi replied, studying him curiously.

"Shopping. We'd made plans to go tonight. Are you still available?"

The blond cursed inwardly. With everything that had happened recently, he'd completely forgotten about that and how much he'd been looking forward to it. "Uh...yeah, sure," he'd answered, trying to sound casual. "It was for four, ne?"

Seto nodded, his brow furrowing slightly. "So, give me your address, and I'll pick you up."

"Pick me –" Jounouchi blanched. "What if I just meet you at the mall?" he asked hesitantly.

"Don't be foolish," the brunet admonished. "I said I'd pick you up, and that's what I plan on doing. Besides, I have better things to do than to run all over that little slice of suburban hell looking for you. Now, are you going to give me your address willingly, or shall I figure it out on my own?"

" _Fine_ ," the smaller teen groused with a reluctant sigh, pinking slightly when a few of his classmates turned at the sound of his exasperated huff. "It's 1447 West Main Street. I'll meet you there at four."

A slow smile travelled across Seto's face. "There. That wasn't so difficult, was it?" he drawled. "See you then." Giving Jounouchi a small wave, he strode from the room, his attaché case swinging gracefully by his side.

"Fuck," the blond muttered once the brunet had left. He knew he couldn't very well go out that night in his uniform. Grabbing a relatively clean set of clothes from his duffle bag, he hurriedly changed, swearing loudly again when he realized he'd have to use one of the bathroom stalls, since the hockey team was occupying the locker rooms. By the time he was finished, he knew that he was going to have to haul ass back to his apartment building in order to beat the brunet there and not look as though he'd just run a marathon. Giving himself a cursory glance in the old mirror, he deemed his appearance as good as it was going to get, and he hurried out into the hall, only to run smack into Mr. Smith.

"Hello, Jounouchi-kun!" the older man greeted, his sparkling eyes taking in the blond's appearance and state of dress – and the balled up uniform he held in his hands. "Pleasant afternoon, isn't it?" he remarked, moving his gaze back to the teen's.

The younger male groaned inwardly. He was already running late, and he so didn't need to have a social chat right now – especially considering how verbose the teacher could be. "Yeah, it's ok, I guess," he said. "Uh, don't you have play practice tonight?" he asked.

"It's funny that you mention that!" Smith beamed. "We're actually taking tonight off, and then dress rehearsal is tomorrow. And, of course, Friday is the big day. Are you coming to the performance?" he asked slyly. 

"Me? Um..." For a moment, he lowered his gaze. He didn't want to tell his teacher that he really had no intentions of going, despite the fact that most of his friends were in it. He wasn't a fan of plays, and he definitely wasn't a fan of Christmas. The combination of the two was a sure-fire recipe for boredom.

Smith's grin widened. "Well, if you're presented with an opportunity to go, I think that you should, and I'm not just saying that because I'm the staff coordinator. I really think you'd find it quite enjoyable."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Jounouchi said, glancing worriedly up at one of the hall clocks. He had twenty-five minutes. "Um...was that all, Sensei, because I really –"

"You have somewhere you need to be," the teacher finished. "Tell you what; I have a quick errand to run, but if you give me a hand with it, I'll give you a ride to wherever you need to be."

"What sort of errand?" the blond asked, doing the mental math and realizing that there was no way he'd make it on time if he had to go on foot.

"I just have to drop a gift off at the hospital for a little boy. All I need you to do is run it in and give it to the nurse at the reception desk. That way, I don't have to worry about trying to find a parking spot, and it would take a fraction of the time."

The teen was silent for several moments, and then he nodded, "Yeah, sure. Ok."

"Great!" Smith beamed. "I'll meet you out front in five minutes!" He headed off in the direction of the staff room, and as soon as he had rounded the corner, Jounouchi sprinted to his locker, stuffed his uniform into his spare one, and grabbed his jacket. By the time he skidded to a stop in front of the building, the teacher was just pulling up in his car. Quickly, he slid into the passenger seat and buckled up.

To his great surprise, Mr. Smith was actually a bit of a lead-foot, manoeuvring in and out of traffic with practiced ease. "Looks like you know what you're doing," the blond remarked. "Around here, most people over twenty seem afraid to step on the gas."

His instructor just smiled. "Sometimes, one is on a bit of a time crunch, so a little speed is important." He pulled into the circular drive in front of the hospital and stopped before the main entrance. "Now, as I said, all you have to do is go up to the nurse and tell her that this parcel is for Jimmy Baker." He reached behind him and pulled a gift bag out from behind the seat, depositing it into Jounouchi's hands.

As he undid his seat belt, he peered into the bag, spying a small Red Eyes Black Dragon plushie wearing a Santa hat. "Cute," was all he said as he slipped out of the car and ran up the stone steps and into the building. He came back out a few moments later, blushing furiously.

"Everything go all right?" Mr. Smith asked, an impish smile on his face.

"Yeah," Jounouchi mumbled. "It took me a minute to find the reception desk – you never told me it was kind of tucked away by the elevator. What a stupid place to put it! But anyway, when the nurse saw me, I told her that you'd asked me to bring this in, and she called me your little, lost elf – and one of the cutest!" He looked positively mortified as he recounted the tale. "I told her that yeah, I supposed that I was, and when she looked in the bag, you'd have thought I'd just brought her a kidney or something. Crazy lady started crying, and then she kissed me!"

"Well, that package, to them, is probably just as precious as a kidney," the teacher replied. "The doctors say that Jimmy will be lucky to make it through to the new year, and that plushie, which is a custom, one-off original, was the one thing he wanted most of all with him in the hospital. His parents searched high and low, but I managed to find it, and told them I'd bring it by. It should give him some comfort." A slow smirk spread across the older man's face. "But tell me, was she at least pretty?" he asked with a wink.

"She was ok, I guess," the blond replied. "Didn't really notice a whole lot, 'cause I..." His blush darkened as he realized he'd nearly admitted his preferences to his teacher. "It doesn't matter."

Mr. Smith just chuckled and pulled the car into traffic once more, seeming to already know the way to Jounouchi's house without directions. He pulled up outside the blond's building with five minutes to spare, and as the teen climbed out of the passenger seat, he asked his teacher, "Ne, how did you know where I lived?"

"Bundle up; they're calling for bad weather. And, give my regards to Kaiba-kun," he said with a smirk, seeming to deliberately ignore the teen's query. Pulling away, Mr. Smith called out, "See you tomorrow!" just as the blond's ride rounded the opposite corner.

Jounouchi blinked in surprise, but then realized that the instructor had to have overheard him and Seto talking earlier that afternoon – nearly everyone else in his class had. Turning toward the approaching vehicle, his eyebrows shot up when he saw that the brunet was driving himself. When the silver Audi stopped at the curb, he smiled and climbed into the passenger seat. "Nice ride. Limo in the shop?" he teased.

"Hn...funny," the blue-eyed teen chuckled. "Sometimes it's easier and more convenient if I just drive myself," he explained. "And sometimes, I just like to," he continued with a grin. He waited until the blond was ready to go. "So, the mall?"

The smaller male nodded, and the two of them settled into a comfortable silence as they drove. When they arrived, Seto parked by one of the major department stores, and together, they headed for the entrance. Jounouchi didn't come out shopping much, so as they went inside, he was surprised to see quite an extensive Christmas display. "Whoa," he breathed.

Seto merely shrugged. "Even though Christianity only embodies about one half of one percent of the population, the holiday is becoming more popular, as you've seen for yourself from the insanity at our school. It's good marketing to cater to what's popular." He was silent for a few moments, and then asked quietly, "What happened, Jounouchi, to make you so jaded?"

"I'd really rather not talk about it, Kaib', if it's all the same to you."

"As you wish," the brunet replied, turning his attention to the weekly flyer he'd picked up.

"That's it?" the blond asked incredulously. When Seto peered curiously at him from over the edge of the paper, he elaborated, "You're not going to press? Keep bugging me to tell you? Yug' and the guys always do."

"And do you cede?"

"Well, no. I usually get pissed off, tell them to all go fuck themselves, and go for a walk."

"What can I say? They're cretins." At that, the brunet lowered the advertisement and looked seriously at the other male. "I asked, and you told me, essentially, that it was none of my business. It's a dead issue, so why press?" He looked down one of the aisles. "Come on; toys are this way." He grabbed a cart and headed off, Jounouchi trotting along obediently behind him.

"Why do you want to know?"

Seto sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I don't know. Curiosity, maybe. And, I guess I figured that friends talked about other things besides mundane topics like school and the weather."

"You consider us friends?" Jounouchi asked, a wide grin splitting his face.

The blue-eyed teen paused, turning slightly to look at the smaller male from over his shoulder. "What do _you_ consider us to be, Jounouchi?" When the other didn't answer him, he nodded silently and resumed walking.

The blond stared after him for a moment, and then chewing nervously on his lower lip, he hurried to catch up with the other. Quietly, he began to tell the other the story of his experiences, somewhat glossing over the seamier parts. Occasionally, he would pause in his tale to either confirm or reject something Seto had selected, or to add something of his own choosing to the cart.

The brunet was quiet while Jounouchi spoke, listening attentively to his story and knowing implicitly that this was the first time it had ever been told. When the other finally fell silent, the only thing Seto said was, "Your father is a bastard. Just because my step-father's was of a finer weave, it doesn't mean they weren't cut from the same cloth." He met the amber eyes for a long moment, and a silent understanding passed between them as Jounouchi was permitted to see a side of the other that had always been carefully guarded. Finally, the blue-eyed teen blinked and turned his attention back to his task, and the blond realized he'd just been given a far greater gift than he could have ever imagined.

For a long while, neither of them said anything, each seeming lost in his own thoughts. Jounouchi was mulling over the last twenty minutes in his mind, rethinking his whole outlook on a relationship, and of  
Seto in general, in a more positive light. He already knew that the brunet considered him a friend – he'd said so himself. And he definitely thought of the other as such. A small smile curved the corners of his mouth upwards as a faint ray of hope penetrated deep into his heart. He glanced over at the other teen, and saw that he was looking at a display of boxed Christmas cards and advent calendars. "Oh, Kaib', no! You don't want that shit."

Seto looked up at him. "Hmm? I was just browsing."

Jounouchi wandered over to where he stood, and flipped through the display. "Heh...no wonder these things are eighty percent off. They're only good for a few more days. You've got to buy these and start them on the first of December." He smirked impishly as he thought of the one he'd slipped into Honda's locker as a joke. It had _looked_ like a proper advent calendar, but he'd slit open the top, removed the tray, and replaced all the chocolates with flavoured condoms, glow in the dark lube, patchouli scented massage oil, and cheap cologne – all obtained for free from the broken vending machine in the restroom of the gas station that was down the road from his apartment. For the first few days, he'd found it incredibly amusing to tease Honda that he was being stalked, and likely by some psychopath – until Otogi came in to class wearing that same horrid hooker-esque fragrance. Honda had assumed that the green-eyed male had sent him the gift, and the raven-haired teen, after being kissed senseless by the other, had had the smarts not to deny it. After that, the two had been virtually inseparable. With wry amusement, Jounouchi conceded that it had been a good prank – and would have been much better had he chosen Anzu as his target...

"Let's pay for all this stuff and get the hell out of here."

The blond nodded. "Did you get him any candy and that kind of shit for his stocking?"

With a small sigh, the brunet changed direction, pushing his cart toward a large display of sweets, and then began perusing the various items. After selecting a few, he announced, "Ok. That's it; I'm done." As they headed toward the checkout, Seto said sincerely, "Thank you for your assistance tonight. I'll have to get you something for your time."

"That's ok, Kaib'," Jounouchi replied. "I didn't mind, really. It was kind of fun, even. And I'm not looking for you to pay me back for helping you out."

"Then at least come home with me for dinner. I believe Beef Wellington is on the menu tonight." At seeing the blank look the other was giving him, he explained, "A filet of beef covered with mushrooms and pâté, wrapped in puff pastry. It's quite nice."

At hearing that, the blond's stomach growled loudly. He'd not eaten since the previous evening, needing to make his paltry savings last as long as possible, and presently, he'd have been quite happy to get a bowl of Ramen and a cheese slice. "I don't know, Kaib'. I mean, thanks for the offer and all, but I'd hate to horn in on yours and Mokuba's time together."

"To be honest, I really don't think Mokuba would mind."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?" Seto asked, as they got into line.

"Mind," Jounouchi asked quietly, a slight pink on his cheeks, his eyes not quite meeting the other's.

The corners of the brunet's mouth turned up in a pert smirk. "If I minded, I wouldn't have extended the invitation."

* * *

By the time they pulled up the long drive leading to the Kaiba Manor, Jounouchi thought he was going to die of hunger. After Seto had parked in front of the main entrance, the blond moved to get out, only to pause with his hand on the door handle. "Do you want a hand bringing this stuff into the house?" 

"No," the brunet replied. "Mokuba will be awake, and he'll be nosy. I'll leave them in the trunk for now; probably until the time comes to wrap them. I'll just make sure not to take the Audi until after the twenty-fifth." He climbed from the car, Jounouchi following along behind him, and he unlocked the front door. "Welcome to my..." Seto trailed off, his blue eyes widening in disbelief at the sight that met him. Just off the foyer was a doorway, but it was presently obscured by a very large tree, probably a little over ten feet in height. The top third was through the opening, and the poor conifer was jerking spastically, as if someone was tugging on it from the other side. "Mokuba!"

The tree stopped moving. A few seconds later, the young boy's face appeared in the doorway, his storm-grey eyes peering at the two older teens through the branches. "Oh, hi Nii-sama," the raven-haired Kaiba greeted, trying to keep his voice light and chipper, although from the look on his face, it was obvious he knew he was in big trouble.

"Where did you – God damn it, is that the Nikko fir from the side garden?"

There was a long pause while the two brothers simply stared at each other, and finally, Mokuba dropped his gaze. "Yes, Nii-sama," he murmured quietly. "I thought it would be fun to have a tree, and I wanted to surprise you. Besides, you always complain about that tree, so I didn't think you'd mind."

'Surprised' didn't even begin to cover what the brunet was feeling as he surveyed his surroundings. "I complain about that tree because, for what it cost to put in, it should be much bigger than it is," he explained, while Mokuba's eyes went wide. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he said quietly, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice, "You'll never get this tree through that doorway like that. First of all, it should be brought in trunk first – all you're doing is catching the branches and breaking them. Second of all, you should have asked. We have an entire _grove_ of spruce trees out at the back of the property! What were you thinking?" Irritably, the brunet yanked on the trunk. After a couple of tries, he managed to unwedge the tree from the doorway, and then he said to his brother, "Go get ready for dinner. We'll deal with this afterwards."

Hesitantly, the younger Kaiba edged out the door and past his brother. He gave Jounouchi a small smile, and then seeing that the older sibling meant business, he bowed his head sheepishly and thundered up the stairs to get cleaned up.

Once Mokuba was out of sight and out of earshot, Seto snorted angrily. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do about this?"

The blond looked up at the taller teen, pressing his lips together as he tried to stifle his laughter, all the while gazing at the other with sympathetic eyes. "If you ask me, the damage is already done. You might as well let him have his tree. And to make it easier on you to get it in that room...you got any twine?"

* * *

Jounouchi couldn't remember the last time he'd been so full. Not only had he eaten two servings of the Wellington, but also two helpings of broasted potatoes and a large portion of fresh green beans, plus a couple of multi-grain rolls. He was also exceedingly happy. Seto had asked him if he would mind staying for a bit to help him with his tree problem, and the blond had readily accepted. After locating some twine in the gardener's shed, he had quickly lashed the limbs together to make, what Mokuba called, a 'tree torpedo'. With the wide branches carefully tied up and out of the way, it had been relatively simple to carry the fir into the parlour. It was then that they discovered a new problem.

"Hey Mokuba...you know that you need some sort of tree stand, ne?" At seeing the confused look from the other, Jounouchi continued, "Normally, you put a cut tree into some water to keep the needles from drying out and falling off – I guess it's like a tree vase. You're close enough to Christmas that it probably won't matter too much, but you can't just stick the tree on the floor. You'll get sap everywhere, and the thing won't stand up." At seeing the worried expression on the younger's face, the blond smiled. "Don't worry – we can make one. I saw some galvanized pails out in the shed. If your brother doesn't mind me wrecking one of them, I think we'll be ok." At seeing Seto's nod, he grinned, coming back about fifteen minutes later with two different sized pails – the larger having a hole cut in the bottom and the smaller containing a bag of white sand. He also carried a cordless drill and three large eye screws. "One instant tree stand, coming up!"

Carefully, he inverted the larger pail where Mokuba instructed him to put it, and then he poured a bit of sand into the bottom of the smaller pail. With Seto's help, they set the trunk inside, and as the brunet held it steady, the blond laid down on the floor and drilled three holes in the pail, angling the eye screws up slightly and attaching them to the trunk of the tree. Once he was content that the tree was relatively secure, he and the blue-eyed teen moved the tree to sit inside the second pail, the larger, inverted base providing stability to the whole creation. Finally, he filled the small bucket with sand, and then cut the twine, letting the branches spring out. "There...all you have to do is make sure the sand is wet, and your tree should be fine. You can water it when you're all done decorating it."

Mokuba gave the blond a grateful hug, and with an exuberant cheer, he dragged out the Christmas decorations he'd been acquiring with his allowance money – white and blue LED lights, elegant crystal icicle and snowflake decorations, and glass mirror balls in a plethora of colours. For the crowning touch, he pulled out a large, green peach basket that was filled with red velvet and gold satin bows, which he'd planned to tie to the branches.

Suddenly, Jounouchi felt a bit awkward sitting there, and as he gave a nervous chuckle and ran a hand haphazardly through his hair, he turned to the brunet and said, "Thanks for dinner, Kaib'; it was great. But, it looks like you've got some family stuff to do, so I'm going to head out and leave you to it."

"Don't be stupid. It's probably a good five kilometres to your place. Once we've finished this, I'll give you a ride."

"But, I'm not a part of your family!" he protested. "I'm just –" He was silenced when a string of lights was rather unceremoniously thrust into his hands. He looked down to see the younger Kaiba glaring up at him with a very Seto-like expression. "What –"

"You helped us with the hard part, so now it's only fair you get to help with the fun part, too," Mokuba declared, interrupting him. "And since I can't reach the top, you're going to have to do it."

Seto sniggered softly. "Guess you've been told," he murmured to Jounouchi, and then he got up to find an extension cord for them to plug the lights into while his brother dragged the slightly stunned blond over to a small stepladder.

For about an hour, the two Kaiba brothers and Jounouchi decorated the large tree, the blond occasionally being treated to a spectacular view of the brunet's posterior whenever the blue-eyed male went to hang an ornament off of the higher branches. Finally, every decoration had been hung, and the finished product was, in a word, spectacular. Even the silver pails they had used for the tree stand seemed to compliment the décor, and the fair-haired teen couldn't help but smile as he looked at it. "You did great, Kiddo," he said to Mokuba as he ruffled the boy's hair. "See you around, ne?"

Seto nodded in agreement. "Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, it does look rather festive." Turning to his brother, he said, "All right...I have to take Jounouchi home. You'd better be in bed by the time I return."

"Kaib', it's not necessary. I –" At seeing the withering gaze, he fell silent, nodding in acquiescence. "Thanks," he mumbled as he headed for the foyer to collect his shoes and jacket. Wordlessly, he followed the brunet out to the car and slid into the passenger seat. Nervously, he drummed his fingers on his knee, his apprehension growing as they drew nearer to his old apartment building.

"Your improvisational skills are impressive," Seto said after a while.

"Eh?"

"The tree stand."

"Oh." The blond turned slightly toward him and grinned sheepishly. "I've always been good at making something out of nothing. Seeing alternative uses for stuff." When the other nodded in response, he turned his attention out his window, noting absently that a few flakes were beginning to drift lightly down from the sky. "Hey, it's starting to snow."

Seto gave a snort of amusement. "Hardly the storm of the century," he commented. "I'd suspect we'll have a light dusting come morning, and that's all.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Suddenly, the amber eyes widened slightly. Any other time, he'd cheer a snow day, but with all his stuff there, he couldn't afford to be locked out of the school. He was still working on a plan for what he was going to do for the upcoming three weeks of winter holidays. "Not likely enough to cancel classes though, ne?"

"You're just as bad as Mokuba. One flake in the air, and he's anticipating a snow day." Seto smiled. "Somehow, I don't think we'll get enough to close the school." He stopped in front of Jounouchi's building, just as his cell phone beeped, indicating he had a text message. "Thank you again for tonight, Jounouchi," he said as he fished his phone from his pocket, giving the blond a small wave when he climbed from the car.

The smaller teen smiled in return, making his way to the front porch of his apartment building and inwardly wincing when he saw that Seto was still sitting there, retrieving his message. Making a show of digging through his various pockets for keys, he saw the brunet look over at him before driving away. Heaving a sigh of relief, he waited until he saw the car round the corner before he jammed his ungloved hands in his pockets and started walking down the street toward the shelter. When he reached the front door, he bowed his head in shame, hurried up the steps, and slipped inside.

About thirty metres down the street, Kaiba Seto sat in his car, his hands gripping the wheel, his lips pressed into a thin line. The headlights were off, and the only light was the soft, blue glow coming from his cell phone, which lay on the passenger seat. Wordlessly, he glanced over at it, scowling slightly. The display still showed the text message he'd received when he'd dropped Jounouchi off. It had read simply, "Wrong address, Seto.


	6. Chapter Six

Seto was furious as he typed angrily away on his laptop that afternoon in his office at Kaiba Corp. After essentially 'spying' on Jounouchi the previous night, he'd tried to track down the sender of the anonymous message to see if it had been someone's idea of a tasteless joke designed to embarrass the amber-eyed male. And, having failed in that task, he'd lain awake, somewhat irritated that the blond had lied to him. Granted, it had been more disinformation than an out and out falsehood, but he'd assumed that he and the fair-haired teen had crossed some bridges after the events of that night and had thought that he'd at least earned some trust. "Shit," he muttered in annoyance when he looked down at his screen and saw that he'd typed a page and a half of gibberish from having had his fingers in the wrong place on the keyboard. As he deleted everything, slightly perturbed that he was going to have to begin again, he heard a muffled giggle from Mokuba. His younger brother was watching some American celebrity news-type show in order to improve his English, and had obviously heard him curse. Giving his younger sibling a humourless snort in response, he turned his attention back to the document he was working on.

That was another thing that was bothering him. Something like this would normally have taken him half an hour, tops, but he had been at it for the better part of an hour, and was only about a third of the way through. He couldn't seem to concentrate on what he was doing, his thoughts continually wandering back to the blond and to what he'd witnessed. Furthermore, when Seto had approached the smaller teen that afternoon in World Cultures, and had asked him what his plans for the evening were, the other had just grinned stupidly at him and told him he was just going to 'hang around and do nothing'. And that, above everything, irked him the most. He'd blatantly given Jounouchi an out with his question, and the baka koinu hadn't bit. Short of marching into that place and dragging the stubborn blond out by his ear, Seto was at a loss for what to do – and that was, of course, assuming that the other would even accept his help. He glanced down at his work again, and seeing that he'd once again filled the page with typos, he heaved a heavy sigh and decided to take a break from it for a few minutes to clear his head. Standing up and stretching lithely, he moved over to the low slung leather couch that rested in front of the television, and sat down beside his brother. Rolling his eyes, he saw that the anchor was just beginning a new segment. 

"Thanks, Tom!" the man replied with a phoney laugh. "And next, we have a report of a holiday story from Michigan. It seems that one man's desire to spread a little holiday cheer wound up spreading a _lot_ of panic during the evening commute. For the past six years, Henry Tippton has been offering unique sleigh rides to the people of his community. Tippton's cutter-style nineteenth-century sleigh isn't pulled by a horse, or even a reindeer, but by Mary, the Christ-moose. Things have been good for both man and beast – Tippton acquired Mary as an orphaned calf, training her to pull both sled and plow, and even getting her comfortable around traffic so they could give people rides along the busy roads of his home town. However, tonight, due to unseasonably warm weather, Tippton got one of the runners on his sled quite bogged down in some mud. As he'd climbed down to investigate, he slipped and fell, knocking himself unconscious and releasing the reins controlling Mary before he'd had a chance to secure them. Not one to simply stand around, Mary managed to free herself from the sleigh and decided to go for a stroll. Soon, the evening commuters were faced with a moose on the loose, the wily beast having wandered into the middle of the jam-packed M-50, still wearing her red and green holiday jingle bell harness, and holding up traffic for miles. Animal control personnel were dispatched to the scene and managed to corral the moose in a matter of moments, and Tippton, after being treated for a mild concussion, was released from hospital and is at home, resting. When asked if he and Mary would be hanging up the harness for the rest of the season, he simply replied that he and his faithful steed would be out the following night, and if he had to, he'd switch over to the wagon to make it through the mud. And as for Mary, well, she seems none the worse for wear after her rush-hour encounter…but sources say the whole thing was a bit embarrassing for both her and her owner.  
Can we say 'hoof-in-mouth'?" The newscaster gave another forced laugh, and then sobering slightly, the smarmy grin still in place, he said, "When we come back, we'll tell you which Hollywood hunk was getting it on with his honey on his balcony at the Waldorf-Astoria, only to be locked out of his hotel room in nothing but a bathrobe when the track froze and seized. Can you say 'Merry _Airy_ Christmas?" Chuckling, he added, "Back in a minute…"

Seto snorted in disgust, not only at the horrible puns, but at the whole segment in general. "Why do you watch this crap, Mokuba?" he asked as he got to his feet and returned to his desk.

The young boy shrugged. "I don't know...it's kind of funny, I guess, Nii-sama. Besides, this is way better than that boring news channel you watch."

"Hn…turn on cartoons or something. If I have to listen to another second of that…program, I'm going to get very annoyed." He saw the pleased smile on his brother's face as he flipped over to some battle-droid anime and, not quite ready to get back to his document, he checked his email. There was only one message, and the sender was 'Kaiba Seto'. His brow furrowing, he quickly traced the IP address of the message, and found that it had been sent from a terminal in shipping and receiving. Grabbing his telephone, he called the receiving supervisor and asked who had been using computer 734-A that afternoon. His eyes had widened in surprise when the confused manager had told him that 734-A had been taken out of service three months ago and, wondering what the hell was going on, he hung up his phone and hesitantly clicked on the message. 

All that came up were two URLs pointing to an international news site.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Seto clicked on the links. When he read the first story, he was quite confused as to why someone would want to point him there. But when he saw the second, a wicked smile curved across his lips.

Quickly, he started composing a letter to his lead attorney, Takinawa Masumi, outlining what he wanted done, and the rather strict timeline he was working on. After sending it, he telephoned the man and told him that he'd forwarded an email, and that he expected the project completed by end of business the next day. Ever the professional, Takinawa assured the brunet that all would be taken care of, and once Seto ended the call, he turned his attention back to his original document. 

He completed it in fifteen minutes.

* * *

Jounouchi cursed his rotten luck for about the hundredth time in ten minutes. Of course, Seto had been right about the snow. That morning, there had been just a light dusting. It was only when they were being dismissed for the day that the heavens had opened up and large, white flakes had started to fall in earnest. It was now just a little before six, and already there was a good inch and a half of snow on the ground. With a sigh, he brushed off one of the park benches with a piece of newspaper, and then sat down on it, pulling his ratty, old blanket tighter around him. When he'd gone into the shelter that evening, he'd found out that they had a 'three night' policy. The woman behind the desk had kindly, but firmly, told him that he couldn't stay there tonight, but tomorrow, he would be more than welcome to come back. 

"Figures that on the shittiest night of the year, I'd be out in the cold," he muttered to himself, giving his head a shake and sending melted droplets of water flying everywhere. He shivered slightly, drawing his knees up close to him and huddling under the blanket, his fingers already numb and having a hard time grasping the edges. "Fuck, this sucks," he whispered, feeling a harsh stinging in the corners of his eyes as his stomach voiced its displeasure at being empty. "I _am_ just a stray…" He stared unseeingly in front of him through watery eyes, only to let out a surprised gasp when a large Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate was placed in his line of vision.

"Here."

"Kaiba?" Jounouchi turned slightly, hurriedly dashing away the rapidly cooling moisture from his cheeks and wrapping his frigid hands around the warm cup. "What are you doing here?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same question," the brunet replied as he came around the back of the bench and sat down beside him. He crossed his legs at the knee as he pulled off his black leather gloves and passed them over to the other. "Put these on."

Jounouchi glanced over at the other male and, seeing the serious expression on his face, he knew better than to argue. Setting his cup down, he slipped his fingers inside, relief flooding through him at feeling the soothing heat penetrating his skin. "What about you?" he asked after a moment, taking a sip of his drink.

"I don't plan to be out here that long," Seto stated matter-of-factly. "Of course, that could change, depending on you."

The blond paused, cocking his head to the side. "Why me?"

There was a long pause where the taller teen simply sat there with his lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm not letting you spend the night out here."

"What?" Jounouchi pinked at that, unable to look into that sapphire gaze any longer. "I wasn't going to  
stay -"

"Damn it, just stop it, Jounouchi. I know all about pride, and about not wanting to reveal the less desirable aspects of one's life, but cut the crap." He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned away from the other, frowning as he watched a small drift form at the base of a tree. "I know what happened." When the blond started to question him, he interrupted with, "I've been there, too, remember?" Alluding to what they'd talked about the previous night, he continued, "Maybe my scenario didn't play out exactly the same as this one, but I do understand it."

"You mean that he…" He stopped, gasping softly when he saw the brunet nod. He gazed down at his cup, occasionally sipping from it but not daring to look at the other. He'd figured that the blue-eyed teen's stepfather had been authoritarian, and a shitty parental figure, but he'd not put two and two together until that moment. Finally, he spoke. "Thanks, Kaib'. I appreciate the gesture, but I don't want to become some kind of charity case, mooching off of everyone like my old man does."

"Get your head out of your ass, Jounouchi," Seto retorted, noting the way the other's eyes snapped up and the surprised look he received. "I'm not offering you charity. I'm offering you a place to stay for tonight that will keep you out of the elements and off the street. If something happened to you, I'd miss – _Jesus_ , are you like this when you stay over at Honda's or Yugi's?"

The blond blushed at that, and he stammered, "N-no! I mean, I don't…" Suddenly, the words sunk in and he grinned. "You'd miss me?"

Deciding that now was not the time to try to be witty, Seto simply nodded as he exhaled heavily. "I would," he said seriously. "You're an interesting person, Jounouchi, and you do have a lot to offer in a conversation – when you engage your brain before opening your mouth, that is." He couldn't resist the chance to toss out that small, teasing barb. He got to his feet and brushed the snow off his back end. "Now come on; it's really starting to come down, and I'd like to get home before it gets much worse. You have a choice. You can come willingly, or I'll take you with me, kicking and screaming."

"You're not serious!" One look at the other male, and the amber-eyed teen knew that he meant business. "But I feel like such a leech!"

"Get over it," the brunet replied with a smirk. "But, if you feel the need to do _something_ , you can help me wrap Mokuba's gifts. Then we can discuss alternate arrangements. And, if you happen to fall asleep in front of the fire and I don't bother to wake you until morning, well, some things just can't be helped."

Jounouchi chuckled at that. Not willing, or really wanting, to argue with that logic, he got to his feet and gave his head another shake to remove the accumulated snow from his hair. Silently following the taller teen to his waiting limo, he felt a comfortable warmth spreading through him that no blanket, gloves, or hot drink had ever before been able to provide.

* * *

When they'd gotten in the car, Mokuba had been surprised, but pleased, to see the blond. After explaining to the boy that he was going to be helping the brunet with a few things, the fair-haired male had drifted off, the combination of the heater, the soft hum of the engine, and the blue-eyed teen's proximity lulling him into a light doze. Upon arriving, he had apologized profusely for his rudeness. Seto had immediately dismissed it, and had then shown him to one of the guest rooms, instructing Jounouchi to shower and warm up before dinner. He had gratefully done so, luxuriating under the hot spray for several wonderful minutes, only to find a pair of black cashmere lounge pants and a dark grey long-sleeved Henley sleep shirt waiting for him on the bed when he came out. He'd never worn cashmere before, and he loved the feel of the soft fabric against his skin. It _almost_ felt as though he'd been wrapped up in a warm hug, and as foolish as he'd felt, he realized that he never wanted to take them off.

Dinner had been much simpler than the previous evening, but no less tasty. On the table had been a large tureen filled with a thick, rich veal stew, homemade crusty rolls, and a fresh green salad. Jounouchi had eaten three bowls of it, sopping up the leftover gravy with the dense bread. And, when he'd been offered a parfait glass with a chocolate-raspberry mousse, he thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Full and content, he'd chatted with Mokuba for about an hour, until finally, Seto had booted him off to bed, and the two of them began the daunting task of wrapping up all of the boy's gifts.

"That's the last one," Jounouchi declared proudly as he stuck a bow in the middle of the parcel he'd just finished wrapping. Stifling a small yawn, he handed the present over to Seto and stretched lithely. He was exhausted, but he was happy. 

The brunet smiled at him, his sharp eyes catching the brief glimpse of stomach when the blond raised his hands above his head. "If you're tired, why don't you go get some rest? I can finish up here." He smirked as he looked around at the veritable cornucopia of gifts littering the floor. "I can't even imagine how long this would have taken me on my own."

"Nah, I'm good for a while yet, Kaib'. I'm definitely tired, but I'm not sleepy." He looked at the rolls of wrapping paper, bows, ribbons and tags that were strewn across the living room rug, and with a grin he said, "It looks like Christmas exploded in here."

"I know," Seto replied with a wry smirk. "It's amazing how quickly it can move from 'festive' to 'nauseating'."

The blond laughed, and then, the smile still in place, he shrugged and said, "Yeah, but sometimes, I guess it's really not so bad." His expression turned demure, and he dropped his gaze, busying himself by securing the loose ends of the ribbon spools with small bits of tape. For the first time in nearly a decade, he found himself wanting to buy presents, and was silently cursing the fact that he was dead broke. "Anyway," his voice went quieter, "It looks like you're all set for everything except your dinner, but your chef is pretty awesome. I'm sure he'll make you something good." Letting out a small sigh and feeling some of his earlier loneliness creep back into his soul, Jounouchi got to his feet and gave his host a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I think I will turn in now, Kaib'."

"Jounouchi, wait a minute." Seto, too, stood up and moved to where the blond was standing in the doorway. He took the spool of ribbon from the other and set it aside, a hint of uncertainty in his expression. "This…pageant…that Smith is putting on tomorrow…Are you attending it?"

"I hadn't planned on it. I'm not a real fan of plays," the shorter teen replied.

"I see. Technically, it's not a play…but anyway, Mokuba wants to see it, so I told him I'd take him. Don't feel obligated to if you're really not interested, but would you maybe consider attending it with m-us?"

Amber eyes lit up and Jounouchi flashed the other male a dazzling smile. "Just me and you and Mokuba?" he asked as he subconsciously inched a little closer to Seto. "Sure, Kaib'. I'll go with you guys."

For a fraction of a second, the brunet looked shocked, and then a pleased look settled in his eyes as his lips curved upwards slightly. "Great. Do you want to –"

"I'll meet you outside the auditorium at ten to six," the blond replied, his smile widening. He saw the flash of worry cross the other's face, and he said reassuringly, "I'll be ok, Kaib', I promise. I'll make it through this." He made the smallest movement, almost looking as if he was going to lean up and kiss the taller male's cheek, but instead, he turned crimson and hurried out of the room with a hasty, "See you at school tomorrow, Kaib'."

Seto gave him a small wave as he left, and then turned his attention to cleaning up the rest of the room. Talking aloud to himself, he murmured quietly, a hint of a Cheshire cat grin on his face, "I know that you're going to be ok, Jounouchi. Of that, I have no doubt."


	7. Chapter Seven

For Jounouchi, Friday turned out to be an extremely good day. He'd slept like the dead in the bed Seto had provided him, and fully refreshed, he had roused himself early, intent on sneaking out to get to school and change into his uniform. As he had reached for the front door handle, he had heard a polite cough behind him. Turning, he had seen Seto's chef standing there. The man had simply smiled at him and had then handed him a paper bag. "Kaiba-sama left instructions that you might be up."

The blond had peered into the bag, and upon seeing that it was a 'to go' breakfast, he had pinked in pleasure at the sentiment, the thought warming him all the way to school. After quickly changing, he'd started on his homework while simultaneously tucking into the food. He'd found that the morning had passed surprisingly quickly, and that he'd been in fairly high spirits. Furthermore, the lunch that Mr. Smith had provided for them at noon had been nothing short of delicious. There had been the familiar foods from the United States, such as turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes with gravy, but there were also pierogies from Poland, salted cod from Portugal and herring from Sweden. On top of that, there were cookies and sweets and breads from around the world, including Stollen from Germany and puddings from the United Kingdom. The afternoon session passed just as fast, and Jounouchi had felt a comfortable sleepiness wash over him as he'd entered Mr. Smith's classroom – his last of the day.

The sensei had foregone any formal classes for the period, and as a treat to his senior class, he had put on a holiday classic for them to watch – ' _Miracle on 34th Street_ '. When it was over, Mr. Smith had wished them all a happy holiday, had told them to be safe on their winter break, and that he'd enjoyed teaching them. One of the girls had asked him what he'd meant by that, and the instructor had explained that he'd only been contracted to the end of the year. He would be leaving soon to go back home, and when they returned to classes in the new year, Kana-sensei would proctor their exam. At seeing some of the disappointed looks, Smith had promised them that he would come back and visit, and that he'd even try to make an appearance at their graduation that June. Finally, he'd told them to go and get an early start on their holidays, and that he hoped he'd see them all at the pageant that night.

Jounouchi had met Seto by their lockers, and after reconfirming the time, the brunet had given him a small smile and a wave, and had headed off to conclude some last minute business at Kaiba Corp. The blond had hung around the halls for a good half an hour or so, and had then chosen his nicest outfit to wear before heading for the locker rooms to change and get ready.

Now, at quarter to six, he stood outside the auditorium doors. Dressed in a pair of black khaki pants and a royal blue long sleeved rugby shirt, he impatiently shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for the Kaiba brothers.

Five minutes later, Seto and Mokuba appeared at the top of the stairs, the brunet dressed in black, slim fitting trousers and a black button-down shirt, and the younger boy wearing dark indigo jeans and a green mock-turtleneck. "Jou!" Mokuba called happily, waving exuberantly to the blond.

"Hey, Kiddo," Jounouchi greeted, ruffling his hair. "Hi," he offered to the blue-eyed teen, smiling shyly at him.

Seto nodded, his gaze flicking quickly over the other, and his lips curving upwards. "I hope you haven't been waiting too long," he said.

"Nah...You told me what time you'd be here, and you're never late. I'm just surprised that I managed to be on time for once," he teased, his amber eyes twinkling slightly.

"Indeed," the brunet replied with a smirk. He glanced over at his younger brother, who looked about ready to burst from his skin from excitement, and stated, "Well, shall we?"

The other two nodded in unison, the raven-haired head bobbing a little more energetically than the other, and after Seto had handed over his tickets to the usher, the three made their way inside and took their seats. Once the house lights had dimmed, the brunet draped his arm around the back of Jounouchi's seat, claiming it was because he needed to stretch out his shoulder. The blond didn't care, really; he was too busy concentrating on the warmth he felt radiating off the other male.

The pageant progressed, and to his surprise, Jounouchi found that it wasn't nearly as objectionable as he had first thought it would be. He laughed during a comedic sketch where Santa Claus was on trial by local law enforcement for breaking and entering, and he was moved by Anzu and Ryou's reverent performances. Despite her usual bitchiness, she seemed almost sweet and angelic as she'd sat in her place at the nativity while a choir of 'angels' sang a medley of carols pertaining to that night. Finally, he'd gaped in stunned surprise when Yugi came out for a solo act. He was dressed up as a Christmas tree, and his normally wild hair had been left free of the costume, looking like some crazy tree top star decoration.

Jounouchi was amazed, first at seeing the painfully shy teen out in front of a full house for a _solo_ act, and second, at the clear, resonant quality of voice the violet-eyed male possessed. Initially, the small teen had stood rigidly in the centre of the stage, and had sung an a cappella rendition of ' _O Tannenbaum_ ' in German, his voice projecting through the entire auditorium without the need for a microphone. Then, the orchestra had joined in and moved into a jazzy version of the song, while four female students came out onto the stage dressed as Christmas presents. Yugi began to dance with each one in turn in a swing-type style as he sang again, this time in Japanese. By the end of the sketch, the audience was clapping along, and Yugi received a standing ovation for his performance, Jounouchi whistling loudly, a wide grin on his face.

There were a couple more skits, and the last one was a reading of ' _The Night Before Christmas_ ', narrated by Otogi. His voice was clear and flawless, and the blond noticed that the raven-haired teen would snigger softly every time he'd read 'Saint Nicholas'. Rolling his eyes slightly and smirking when he thought about the slap the green-eyed male was in for once Anzu got hold of him, he applauded with the rest of the audience when the entire cast came out for their curtain call. When the house lights came up, he reluctantly stood, not wanting to leave the warm quasi-embrace he'd been nestled in for the past ninety minutes. Sighing heavily, he walked with Seto and Mokuba out into the corridor, for the first time all day thinking about the shelter he'd be sleeping in that night, a slight depression creeping over him. Trying to keep his spirits up, he turned to the tall brunet and said, "Thanks for tonight, Kaib'. It was actually pretty fun."

"You're welcome, Jounouchi," Seto replied with a smile. "I'm glad you decided to join us." His gaze shifted momentarily to something behind the blond, and he stepped back a half-pace as two men in suits, one tall with salt-and-pepper hair and the other a little shorter than the amber-eyed teen with black hair and a goatee, approached them.

It was the taller one who spoke. "Jounouchi Katsuya? May we have a word, please?"

* * *

Jounouchi had looked up at Seto, obvious panic in his eyes when he saw the two men. After the brunet had reassured him that it was ok and that he'd wait for him, the blond had given the two a stiff nod and had followed them to an empty classroom. It was only when he saw the blue-eyed teen standing outside the door that he hesitantly took a seat at one of the empty desks.

"I'm sorry for surprising you like this," the grey-haired man said. "My name is Takinawa Masumi and this is Morita Ryozo. We're both Kaiba Corp attorneys. Kaiba-sama told us we might find you hear tonight."

"What?" Jounouchi asked, obviously confused. "Kaib' did what? Why? I swear that I didn't steal anything when I was at his house!"

The two lawyers looked at each other, and Morita smirked. "Relax, Jounouchi-san. You're not in any sort of trouble. We've been asked to represent you and your interests, and advise you for the next few months."

"Advise – Look, I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about!"

"Tell me Jounouchi-san, do you know a Kawai Ritsuko?" Takinawa asked.

The blond furrowed his brow in thought. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up. "Gam-Gam!" He blushed and cleared his throat. "I mean, she's my grandmother."

"Good, good," the taller man said. "Do you remember anything about her?"

The amber-eyed teen shrugged. "Not really. The last time I saw her, I was seven years old. We'd gone to visit her in New York for Christmas. I remember she was a kind lady, and was an awesome cook. And she played the piano really good, too. My sister and I were fascinated by the songs she played, and we tried to mimic her hands while we were there, but we just wound up making a bunch of noise and slapping the keys." He trailed off when he realized he was babbling, and falling silent, he fidgeted slightly and bit at a hangnail.

"Jounouchi-san, your grandfather was the patriarch of the Kawai Piano Company. Through innovation and craftsmanship, he was world renowned for building the world's finest pianos. As his company grew, he expanded into other markets, eventually founding a corporate division in the United States. Your mother was born while your grandparents were living there, thus rendering her an American citizen. When he died, he had amassed quite a fortune from his company, and while he kept most of it within the organization, he did have quite a sizable portion put aside for himself and his family. This, of course, fell to your grandmother. I'm sorry to inform you, but your grandmother died two years ago. But, in her will, she'd stated that her two grandchildren, who she loved and adored, would be entitled to a portion of the family inheritance. Your sister received her portion, to be kept in trust, until she turns eighteen. Yours was also put in trust, but since you are now eighteen years of age, that no longer applies to you." Takinawa paused for a moment, and then took a chair himself. "After her death, calls were made to locate you and inform you of your inheritance. However, since you were in Japan, little time and effort was put into locating you by those in charge of administering your grandmother's estate. Your mother, who had not seen you since your sister's operation just before your grandmother's death, was unable to contact you, either."

"We'd just moved," Jounouchi replied quietly. "I'd just been in a major Duel Monsters tournament, and my father was getting pissed off by all the cards and fan mail we were getting..."

The tall lawyer nodded, and then continued. "Anyway, your money was put into an account at your mother's request, but the law stated that if you didn't claim it within five years of your grandmother's death, it would be released to the State. Fortunately, Kaiba-sama came across a news article and asked us to claim it on your behalf."

"No, that's fine," the blond replied numbly, his brain racing to process all the information he'd just been given. He'd never known any of this about his family. Suddenly, he frowned as he wondered just what the hell his mother had seen in a deadbeat like his old man. "So, what happens now?" he asked.

"Well, I faxed the relevant documentation to the proper people in America yesterday afternoon, and they approved the transfer. I took the liberty of setting you up with a bank account, but if you'd like something else done with the money, I'll be more than happy to arrange that for you. I just wanted you to be able to have access to it should you desire it."

"Yeah, that's cool," Jounouchi said, his heart racing slightly. He'd never had enough money to warrant a bank account before. "Um...not to sound like a greedy bastard or anything, but I'm curious. How  
much –"

"A little over a half a million American dollars."

"Fuck me!" the blond exclaimed, oblivious to the small chuckle from the two lawyers. Suddenly, his blood turned to ice and looking earnestly at the two men, he confessed, "My...my old man kicked me out this week, but when he hears about this, he'll be all nicey-nice and want me back. I don't want to go back, but I don't want to be fostered, either."

"Hn...That's where I come in, Jounouchi-san," Morita replied. "I've been tasked with getting you declared an emancipated minor." He looked seriously at the teen for a moment. "I need you to be honest with me right now. Do you feel that living under your father's roof is a threat to your personal safety? Please consider the question carefully before answering, because if you say 'no', the likelihood of you being successful will be greatly diminished."

The blond worried his lip nervously, a hint of a blush creeping across his cheeks. Finally, he nodded, and in a rush, he spilled his entire tale to the two attorneys, asking them to not tell anyone else about what he'd said, and then pinking further when the informed him about attorney-client privilege. "Please don't make me go back there," he said. "Truth be told, I'd be happy to never have to see him again."

The ebony-haired man stroked his beard thoughtfully as he listened to the young male talk, and when he was finished, he nodded. "On Monday, come by the office and we'll make some proper notes on this. But I'll promise you this; you won't have to go back if you don't wish to."

The three talked for another ten minutes or so, and then, after dashing away the moisture from his eyes, Jounouchi gave each of the men a small bow, and then shook their hands, his new bank card nestled securely in his wallet, which was carefully tucked deep in his pants pocket. His body still trembling slightly from the shock, he stepped out into the hall to see Seto, true to his word, still standing in outside the door, leaning casually against a row of lockers. "Where's Mokuba?" he asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

"Having cookies and cocoa in the cafeteria with the cast members. Yugi's keeping an eye on him for me. So, how did it go?" The corners of the blue-eyed teen's mouth gave a brief twitch up before returning to a neutral expression.

"Kaib', I don't know how you knew to look, or where, but I..." Overcome with gratitude and emotion, a single tear trickled down each cheek. "I just can't believe it."

"Believe it. If you're interested in reading the articles, I can provide you with the websites. And so you know, the Kaiba Corp press people are working to put a gag order on all information. No one has to know about this until you're ready to tell them."

Smiling, the blond closed the distance between them, lifting his arms slightly as if to hug the brunet, and then, with a flush, dropping his hands to his side. "Thanks, Kaib'. So, what now?"

There was a brief flash of disappointment in the sapphire eyes, but then Seto said, "Well, if I were you, I'd collect all my things from my locker, find a nice hotel to stay in for a couple of nights, and then find an apartment." He chuckled softly. "But that's just me. Perhaps you prefer park benches and freezing your ass off?"

Amber eyes sparkled playfully as he gave the taller teen the finger. "Fuck you, Kaiba," he retorted. "Do you always have to be such an ass?"

* * *

"Holy fuck!"

Jounouchi's eyes widened in disbelief as he glanced around Ryou's front yard. It seemed that while Ryou had been out at the pageant the previous night, Bakura had taken it upon himself to build a whole family of snowmen out on the lawn. Apparently, the white haired spirit had been bored.

Up by the cedar bushes, he'd constructed a snowman that was on its knees, its ass up in the air, while another snowman stood behind it, obviously engaged in an obvious carnal act. By the sidewalk was a decapitated snowman lying on the ground, a second snowman standing over it holding the head in one hand and an axe in the other. But, the crown jewel in his collection stood proudly on top of a small knoll in the centre of the yard.

Obviously, Bakura had spent the most time on this creation, as evidenced from the well-sculpted, highly defined features. The snowman was a little over six feet in height, and was lithe and slender. Bakura had used two pieces of blue quartz for eyes, and it looked like he'd taken an old mop, dyed the wool brown, and had draped it lovingly atop its head. He'd jammed Ryou's old duel disk from Battle City into its side, and the snowman was sporting a long, flowing purple trench coat. Jounouchi took one look at it and knew exactly to whom it belonged. And, he really didn't want to know the how or where surrounding Bakura's acquisition of it.

"You know he's going to see that when he drops his brother off tonight, ne?" the blond said to the former tomb-robber as he stood on the porch shortly after noon on Saturday. "Not to mention, Anzu is going to have a fit." His amber eyes landed on the rather large penis that was standing out proudly from the snowman's midsection.

"I should think he'd be rather flattered," Bakura responded as he leaned against the foyer wall while Jounouchi took off his shoes. "It's not like I gave him a teeny peeny." He smirked. "As for Anzu...let's just say that Kaiba's 'endowment' was her little contribution to my sculpture." Chuckling wickedly, he added, "You should see the collection of toys that girl keeps."

Jounouchi gaped at him in horror, a small shudder travelling through him at the thought. "Thanks a fuck of a lot, Bakura. There was a visual I so didn't need."

"Happy to oblige. I'm sure you'll like it even more when you're lying awake in the dark at night."

"Shut the fuck up!"

Ryou arrived shortly after that, cringing when he came through the front door. "Bakura, the neighbours are starting to complain," he commented as he carried his bags through to the kitchen.

"So? It's my yard; I'll do what I want. If they wish, I can decorate their yards, too." He arched a brow when the soft-spoken teen pulled an eight inch stocking from one of his bags and shoved it at the crazy spirit. "What's this?"

"It's something you deserve!" Ryou admonished. "Honestly, you're the poster child for 'naughty'."

Bakura opened the sock, his brow furrowing when he pulled out a small piece of coal. "Carbon?"

"It's coal, stupid," Otogi said as he and Honda came in, absolutely laden down with bags and packages. "The story goes that if you're bad, you get nothing but coal because it's worthless." He glowered at Anzu, who came in carrying nothing but her purse, the young girl blushing deeply.

"And even that's more than you deserve," she stated. "What is that out on your front lawn, Ryou?"

"I thought it was kind of cool," Honda commented with a snicker, only to 'oof' quietly when the girl elbowed him.

"We should dismantle it," she continued.

"Don't you dare, Girly...I _will_ hurt you if you touch my sculptures," Bakura hissed, only to give a lewd, "Ohhh!" when he pulled a wooden spanking paddle out of the stocking as well. "Now _this_ has a multitude of uses," he remarked, giving Ryou a libidinous wink. "How about tonight, Lover?"

"That wasn't the point of it, Bakura! Honestly!" Flushing deeply, the white-haired male stormed into the kitchen, Honda and Otogi following him, muttering to each other about being pack mules.

Yami and Yugi arrived shortly thereafter, and for the rest of the afternoon, the group of friends worked on putting up decorations and getting ready for their party. Anzu stood in the centre of the room, barking out orders like a construction site foreman, directing the males to put things down where she thought they should be. Jounouchi moved like a mindless automaton, a small smile settling on his face when he thought about how much more fun he had had with the Kaibas. Shortly before five, they were finally finished.

"There!" the girl said with a pleased grin as she put her hands on her hips and surveyed the room. "And now for the final touch!" She found one of the boxes Otogi and Honda had brought in earlier, and from it, she pulled out a small bud vase that held a single golden-coloured rose. Setting it on the mantle, she wound a thin piece of red ribbon around the base and tied it into a loose bow. "It's our Christmas rose! Isn't it so elegant?"

Jounouchi cleared his throat. "It's great, Anzu, but just one thing... According to the legend, the Christmas rose was white. I learned that when I was watching that play last night."

There was a long moment of silence as the blue-eyed female stared at him, her expression slowly morphing into a deep scowl. "Well, mine's gold!" she seethed finally, her expression dark. "I took a little poetic license, ok?"

Jounouchi held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "I was just saying! Shit, sorry!" He saw the time, and with a small gasp, he said, "I got to go. I've...got an errand to run, and then I'm going to go change. I'll see you guys around seven, ok?" Cursing softly as he ran out the door, he hoped that he'd have enough time to get to the mall.

* * *

As it turned out, Jounouchi was late, which was really no great surprise. By the time he got back to Ryou's, it was closer to half past, and everyone else was there, save for Mokuba. As he took off his shoes, he set the small backpack he'd brought with him down on the floor. Squirreled away inside were two small gifts – one for Seto and one for Mokuba. He decided that he'd present them to them when they were leaving. He smiled softly. Now that he found himself with a bit of money, he was looking forward to being able to actually do things for his friends.

Fixing the chocolate coloured corduroy shirt he had layered over his white t-shirt and adjusting his figure-skimming black jeans, he made his way into the living room to greet his friends. "Hey guys – the fuck?" he exclaimed when Anzu, who was wearing a cheery green elf's hat, plopped a headband with a pair of light up reindeer antlers onto his head.

"It's your party 'hat', Jou," she explained with a giggle, her cheeks slightly flushed.

The blond glanced over at Honda, and seeing his friend make a 'drinky-drinky' motion, he smirked. The girl was tipsy. "Party hat, ne?" Amber eyes surveyed the room and he saw that his friends were all, indeed, wearing one of four different headdresses – an elf hat, the antlers, a Santa cap, or a headband with two ornaments attached to wobbly springs. Shrugging, he led her back to the couch, dumping her onto the cushions between Yami and Yugi. It was then that he noticed the petulant expression on the former pharaoh's face, the pompom of his Santa cap hanging slightly in his eyes. "Boy, you sure know how to enjoy a party," he teased.

Crimson eyes turned to gaze up at the blond, and Yami's scowl deepened. Over in the corner, Bakura sniggered into his drink, his bobbly ornaments making him look like some sort of flamboyant beetle.

"What happened?" Amber eyes shifted over to Yugi.

The short teen gave a small smile, and then explained, "Bakura must have heard that Yami really liked peppermint, and after having received a gift from him, he wanted to get him something in return. Of course,  
Bakura sucks when it comes to giving out gifts..."

"Oh screw you," the former tomb robber sneered as he slunk over to the back of the couch, making sure to stay out of swatting distance from Yami. "It's not my fault he leaps before he looks." Turning to Jounouchi, the white-haired spirit grinned mischievously. "I knew he liked peppermint, and I knew he liked _these two_." He gestured to Yugi and Anzu. "So, when I was out, I saw a lovely little toy that looked and smelled like one of those peppermint sticks he's been enjoying all season, only without the curve. When he opened it, the stupid muti thought it was sweets and stuck it in his mouth." Again, Bakura snickered. "He accidentally turned the vibrator on, and he chipped a tooth, and now he's mad at _me_ for his indiscretions." He polished off his drink, and meeting the blond's gaze, he murmured, "See what happens when I try to be kind and give someone a present?"

Jounouchi pressed his lips tightly together, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood in an effort to stifle his laughter. "I have to...get...drink," he managed, and it was only when he was in the kitchen and safely out of the pharaoh's sight that he permitted himself to laugh – and at that, it was into an oven mitt to stifle his giggles. Once he had managed to compose himself, he poured himself a glass of Coke and headed back into the living room, eagerly volunteering to get the door when a slight glance to Yami sent him into another fit of snickering. He opened it wide, grinning when he saw Mokuba, and then arching a brow in surprise when he saw Seto with him. "Kaiba?"

The brunet smirked, his sapphire gaze flicking up to the antlers Jou sported. "Is the puppy now looking to moonlight as one of Santa's reindeer?" He nudged his brother, and once the young boy had stepped inside and hurriedly toed off his shoes to get his own hat, Seto continued, "On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer, on Rex. Hmm...it kind of loses something, don't you think?"

Jounouchi gave a snort of amusement. "Ass. Since you're here, at least come in for one drink. It's the polite thing to do over the holidays." He stepped aside to admit the taller teen.

As Seto was taking off his shoes, he looked up at the other. "About the front lawn –"

"Bakura."

"Say no more." Straightening, he followed the blond into the living room, giving a small nod of greeting to the others.

The brunet actually stayed for quite a while, spending most of his time talking to the amber-eyed teen. It was nearing midnight, and Seto was getting ready to collect his brother – who had fallen asleep in front of the fire – and head home, when there was a knock at the door.

"I wonder who that could be?" Ryou mused as he went to answer it, shooting an accusing look to Bakura. "It had better not be one of the neighbours!" He came back a few moments later, a very confused look on his face as Mr. Smith, fully decked out in a Santa Claus costume, appeared in the doorway behind him.

"Mr. Smith!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

The man beamed at him, chuckling softly. "I had a couple of gifts that needed delivering, so I thought I'd bring them by. I was kind of passing through anyway." He handed a package to Seto and one to the blond. "Normally, tradition says you have to wait until Christmas to open them, but I think that it would be ok if you did so now. I won't tell." He gave them a conspiratorial wink.

"I didn't know you also played Santa Claus!" the smaller teen said as he accepted the silver box with the red foil bow.

"Hn...Who says I'm playing, Jounouchi-kun?"

The amber-eyed male gave a small gasp at that, his brow furrowing slightly as he tried to decipher the enigmatic smirk on the red-suited gentleman's face. Slowly, he shifted his gaze down to the tag and read,  
"It's something you've always wanted." With a shrug, he tore open the package, and pulled out a small Blue Eyes White Dragon with a Santa cap, only to see Seto pulling a Red Eyes Black Dragon with a Santa cap from his box. "I thought you told me the one for that Jimmy kid was a one-off."

"So I had another one made," Smith replied.

"Ne, Mr. Smith," Otogi called out, "I think you got them mixed up – Kaiba got Jou's and vice-versa."

"Oh, I don't think I did," the instructor replied with another wink. "Oh, and Jounouchi-kun...look up."

"Eh?" The blond frowned in puzzlement and then flicked his gaze skyward, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw that he and Seto were standing underneath a sprig of mistletoe.

"Hey! I didn't put that there!" Anzu groused with a slight slur before once again snuggling against Yami's side, gently chiding him about moving her perfectly placed decorations.

Honda and Otogi grinned impishly, and Honda called out, "You've got to, Jou. It's some kind of rule."

Blushing furiously, Jounouchi glanced up at Seto, and then off to the side. Finally, he leaned up and quickly pressed a kiss to the taller male's cheek, shrinking back almost immediately.

"That was pathetic, and strangely disappointing." The brunet reached out and caught the blond's wrist, yanking him back to him. "If you're going to do it, at least do it properly. I'm not some Great Aunt, for God's sake." Slowly, he brought his hand up, lightly tracing a finger along the curve of the smaller teen's cheek, and then, his other hand slipping around his waist, he drew Jounouchi closer to him, dipping his head and pressing his mouth to the other's. He moved his lips slowly, waiting for the other to respond.

At the first touch, the blond's insides immediately melted, and he felt weak in the knees. Desperately, he slid his arms around Seto's waist for support, a soft gasp leaving him as he let his eyes fall closed and parted his lips slightly.

A low purr rumbled in the blue-eyed teen's throat, and slowly, gently, he deepened the kiss, his tongue deftly, yet tenderly, mapping out the contours of the smaller male's mouth. His own eyes fell closed when the blond's tongue moved against his, and then, all too quickly, it was over. Absently, Seto ran his tongue along his lower lip as he gazed down at the other, his heart giving a small flip-flop when he saw the warm and adoring expression in the sparkling amber eyes. "Damn," he muttered.

"Double damn," Jounouchi replied, a wide smile breaking across his features.

"Well, looks like my work here is done," Mr. Smith replied with a grin. "I'm sure your sister will be pleased with how everything turned out...do call her tomorrow and wish her a happy holiday, ne?" Giving the assembled teens a small wave, he made his way to the door, calling out a booming, "Merry Christmas," as he slipped out and into the night.

The brunet, who still held Jounouchi in his arms, peered around him at the now empty foyer, and then looked down at him. "No way!"

The blond shrugged. "I don't know, Kaib'. It's too weird..." He heard the surprised conversation going on around him from his friends, but he tuned it out as he gazed shyly up at the other through his half-lidded lashes. "So...what happens now?"

"Well...how about we start with this: Christmas dinner, my house, three o'clock."


	8. Chapter Eight - Epilogue

Seto had surprised him early that morning by showing up at his hotel room and, quite plainly, telling the blond to get his ass in gear because Mokuba was waiting to open his presents, and in his impatience, was driving the blue-eyed male insane. Upon arriving back at the Kaiba Manor, they'd watched the young boy tear into his gifts with wild abandon, after which the brunet gave Jounouchi a gift of a pair of supple black leather gloves, while the smaller teen had presented his new boyfriend with the gift he'd neglected to give him the previous evening.

Seto had arched a brow, a hint of a smile spreading across his face when the other had simply shrugged and said that he'd just wanted to get him a little something. After playfully sticking the bow to the top of Jounouchi's head and chuckling softly when the tape seemed to form some sort of chemical bond with the wild, blond hair, he had opened the box and let out a small gasp of surprise. Inside was a TAG Heuer watch – the Monaco Sixty-Nine concept model that he had been looking at for some time. Pinking slightly, the blue-eyed teen had good-naturedly groused about the fact that he'd only gotten the other a pair of gloves, only to be silenced by a soft kiss from an equally blushing Jounouchi.

Afterwards, the three of them had enjoyed a simple, but elegant breakfast of croissants and fresh fruit, the older two sipping on mimosa. Once they had finished eating, Mokuba had gone to play with his new presents, not really all that interested in helping with the clean up of all the wrappings and trappings that now lay strewn about the floor. As they were finishing up, Seto had smiled slyly and passed the blond the telephone and a slip of paper. As it turned out, the brunet had managed to track down Shizuka's telephone number in the United States, and giving the shorter male a small wink, he had ushered Jounouchi into his office so that he could converse in private.

Twenty minutes, and many happy tears later, the blond had come out, giving the other a tremulous smile and then flinging himself at the taller teen, his kisses of thanks quickly turning into an extended make-out session that left them both breathless, aroused, and very sure of the fact that they belonged together. They'd spent the rest of the afternoon simply talking and getting to know each other better until dinner, which had been one of the best meals Jounouchi had ever eaten. Afterwards, the three of them had played games together until, shortly after seven o'clock, Mokuba had excused himself to go to bed, the excitement of the day finally catching up to him.

Now, Jounouchi was curled up in Seto's lap, one arm around his neck, the other resting easily against his chest as they sat in front of the parlour fireplace enjoying a glass of wine, and each other's company. His amber eyes were half-lidded in a comfortable, sleepy haze, and a small smile curved up the corners of his mouth as he gazed at the Christmas tree that he had helped the Kaiba brothers decorate. The holiday had been nothing short of magical, and things in his life were on a definite upswing. Chuckling softly to himself, he moved to press a gentle kiss to the brunet's cheek, purring softly when the other anticipated his move and turned his head at the last second, bringing their lips into contact.

"Merry Christmas, Katsuya," the blue-eyed teen murmured, following his words with another sweet kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Set'," he replied, for the first time in a long time actually feeling that holiday spirit deep within him. He took a sip of his wine and then cuddled back against the brunet, sighing contentedly as he realized that he finally knew what true happiness was.


End file.
